Pep Guardiola tells Manchester City players to meet Liverpool title challenge head on

Planet Sport writer
3 April 2022

Pep Guardiola has demanded his Manchester City players go toe to toe with Premier League title rivals Liverpool in what is shaping up to be a pulsating end to the season.

Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan were on target in a 2-0 win at Burnley as champions City made it four games unbeaten in the league and leapfrogged back above Liverpool, who had temporarily knocked their rivals off top spot for the first time since December 4 earlier in the day with a 2-0 victory over Watford.

Success on the road against relegation-threatened Burnley sets Guardiola's men up for a huge double header at home, including the visit of Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals before next Saturday's huge showdown against Liverpool in the Premier League.

With only eight games left between now and the end of the season, Guardiola wants his players to put everything on the line to repel the challenge of Jurgen Klopp's men.

Good start into our season-defining weeks 💪🏼🎱 #readyToGo #CmonCity 💙 pic.twitter.com/pexnThsebT
— Ilkay Gündogan (@IlkayGuendogan) April 2, 2022

"There are eight games left, 24 (points)," he told reporters. "We have to feel the pressure. Every game, if we lose, we are not going to win (the title), simple as that.

"Hopefully Liverpool are going to lose against us, apart from that I don't think they will drop points."

Back on January 15, City moved 14 points clear at the top of the table following a 1-0 win over Chelsea - albeit Liverpool had two games in hand - but the Anfield giants have put together a remarkable 10-game win streak to stage an astonishing fightback.

𝗪𝗪𝗪𝗪𝗪𝗪𝗪𝗪𝗪𝗪

10 consecutive @premierleague wins 🤩 pic.twitter.com/2GsHbPna68
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 2, 2022

City are on target for a possible treble and fourth league title in five seasons while Liverpool remain on course for a historic quadruple, having already won the League Cup.

A great start to a 𝙗𝙞𝙜 month! 💪

🟣 0-2 🔵 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/qd0xi9s1R7
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 2, 2022

Guardiola says his players must rise to the challenge because any slip-up will hand the advantage to Liverpool.

He said: "We have to feel the pressure, we have to handle it. What we did in the past, when we won 14 games in a row, now we have to win eight, otherwise we will not be champions."