Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
City gaffer Pep playing down title favourites tag
PEP Guardiola has shrugged off Manchester C i t y ’s n e w l y - r e s t o r e d status as Premier League title favourites.
The champions are once again considered the side most likely to win the English top flight by bookmakers following Liverpool’s recent wobbles.
Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, who have drawn their l ast two matches, remain three points clear at the top but City can now overtake them with victory over Everton at Goodison Park tonight.
Guardiola said: “Three or four days ago we were already done – the champions were Liverpool. And now we are favourites!
“Maybe in three days we will be leading – or we could be six points behind.
“We try to be calm i n this situation. There will be a lot of surprises and it will be tough for teams to win games. All the teams have the abilities and skills to create problems.
“What I’m more concerned about is to never forget who we are as a team.
“When doing what we have to do we are a strong team. That’s what I want to watch every single day.
“After, we will see about the results, how the table is.”
Guardiola does acknowledge his side’s rearranged game against Everton – brought forward because of City’s involvement in the Carabao Cup Final against Chelsea later in the month – does present an opportunity, however.
He said: “Goodison Park is always a tough game for us but the approach is the same – going there to try to win the game and, of course, we have the chance, because Liverpool don’t play, to go top of the league.”
Victory would see City go top on goal difference, having played a game more than Liverpool.
Guardiola endured one of the low points of his reign when City were thrashed 4-0 at Everton just over two years ago.
He said: “It’s a long time since we lost there. I am not going to Goodison Park thinking about what happened in the first year.
“In the second year we made an exceptional performance there before we played at Anfield in the Champions League.
“Every game is completely different. The approach is to read what Marco Silva and his guys try to do and then win the game.”
Everton boss Silva is under growing pressure after an indifferent run of form.
The Toffees were booed off after their 3-1 loss to Wolves on Saturday, their eighth defeat in 14 games in all competitions, and the Portuguese manager is facing mounting criticism.
Guardiola feels people have been too quick to get on Silva’s back in his first season at the club.
He said: “People don’t know how difficult it is to create teams. People believe by buying three or four players with a new manager and everything is perfect immediately. It takes time.
“My advice, if they believe in him they have to move forward with him.
“It’s difficult to create and build something.”