‘You’re okay with this?’

Guardiola draws comparisons between Liverpool and Man City title runs

LONDON, ENGLAND (AP):

PEP GUARDIOLA doesn’t forget. AFTER MANCHESTER City failed to cut into Liverpool’s 22-point lead by losing 2-0 at Tottenham yesterday, Guardiola’s mind turned back to 2018 and irritation at comments from the English Premier League leadership.

Guardiola’s team winning the league by 19 points prompted Richard Scudamore to express a desire for “someone to get a little bit closer to Manchester City”while also praising the team’s excellence.

Scudamore is no longer running the league. Guardiola wonders if the competition bosses are fine with a lead so commanding that Liverpool are in line to seal the title in March with two months of the season remaining.

“An owner from the Premier League said that cannot happen again, so it’s not good for the Premier League (that) City win the title in that way with 100 points,” Guardiola said, without naming Scudamore. “So now it’s Liverpool you have to be concerned (about) the owner of the Premier League.”

It is City’s six losses in 25 league games this season that have thwarted the quest for a third straight title and put Liverpool on a clear path to ending a 30-year championship drought.

Outplaying and outshooting Tottenham counted for little after second-place City were reduced to 10 men on the hour when Oleksandr Zinchenko’s push on Harry Winks to halt a counterattack saw the midfielder shown a second yellow card.

Within three minutes, Tottenham were in front with a goal from Steven Bergwijn on his debut. The recruit from PSV Eindhoven brought down a pass from Lucas Moura with his chest before taking a touch to control the ball and volleying into the net.

Summer record-signing Tanguy Ndombele created the second for Son Heung-min, who struck past goalkeeper Ederson in the 71st minute.

“I don’t think we collapsed,” Guardiola said.“This team is built to do something and play in a certain way. Ten against 11 after the chances we missed in this game … still I think we were there. It’s not easy.”

It would have been easier had Ilkay Gundogan not seen his firsthalf penalty saved by Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

Victory for Tottenham lifted Jose Mourinho’s side to within four points of Chelsea in the fourth UEFA Champions League place.

PHOTO BY ANTHONY MINOTT From left: Shane Nelson and Germaine Gordon, founders of the Daytona Premier League (DPL), and former national cricketer David Bernard Jr (right), hand over supplies to Marsia Tucker of the Strathmore Children Home recently. The donation was funded from proceeds from the DPL. This is a community football league that organisers say was contrived out of a desire to foster love and unity within the Greater Portmore community. The league hosts nightly games on Saturdays and Sundays.

AP Tottenham’s Steven Bergwijn (left) scores the opening goal during their English Premier League match against Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, yesterday.

GUARDIOLA