Liverpool Exposed Pep Guardiola’s ‘Tired & Affordable’ Manchester City, Asserts Ex-Chelsea Star Emmanuel Petit (Exclusive)

Pep Guardiola‘s Manchester City players cut a beaten and bruised figure against Liverpool on the road in their recent decisive matchup. Though City closely secured a draw, they had spent most of the time within their defensive third, trying to contain Liverpool’s rigorous threatening attacks. Besides, the Manchester club blew up their early lead off Nathan Ake’s defensive error, which led to a Liverpool penalty. Former Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit lamented City’s defensive downfall while speaking to Essentially Sports in an exclusive interview, thanks to OCB Scores.

After the draw at Anfield, Liverpool lost their top English Premier League spot to Arsenal. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s side fell to the third position. Speaking of Arsenal’s title prospects, Petit said Mikel Arteta and co. needs to beat Manchester City. However, he quickly added that the Sky Blues have been struggling lately.

Manchester City’s struggles against Liverpool raise concerns about the title race

During his Essentially Sports exclusive, Emmanuel Petit was quizzed if the current top-seeds Arsenal would win the Premier League this season. Petit insisted that Arsenal should avoid injuries at any cost to do that. He added that the Gunners should beat Manchester City for the second time this season to keep their title hopes alive. Speaking of City’s forgettable display against the Reds, the Chelsea legend subtly hinted that Arsenal can make the best of the former. “We all know what happened against Liverpool. They looked tired. They looked affordable as well, defensively. So you never know,” said Emmanuel Petit.

As Petit rightly recalled, Jurgen Klopp‘s men dominated Guardiola and Co. throughout the second half of the game. Liverpool had more ball possession. They attempted for a goal a whopping 19 times to Manchester City’s 10 attempts. Furthermore, City conceded seven corners to Liverpool’s four. Anyhow, Liverpool’s misfiring woes were spectacularly exposed in the game. Nevertheless, it is surprising to note that Guardiola’s men, who play possession-heavy soccer, hardly touched the ball in the second half. So it is high time the Cityzens fixed their woes, as each forthcoming game is decisive to the title race.

Crucial clashes await Pep Guardiola and Co. amid serial woes

Sloppiness hit Manchester City way before the Liverpool game. Their offensive struggles were exposed earlier, as Erling Haaland scored just thrice in three matches, despite attempting more than 70 times. This forgettable performance upset Pep Guardiola. He urged his players to attack and defend well, as goal difference could decide the title race. Notably, both Arsenal and Liverpool have better goal difference stats than City.

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After highlighting City’s defensive struggles in their recent game, Petit told Essentially Sports that the title race is open. In a few weeks, Manchester City faces Arsenal in a match that could be pivotal to the title chase of the season. Thus, City has to maintain consistency against powerhouses such as Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur to go deep in the exciting title race. If the Sky Blues tremble in any of those clashes, there is a high chance that Liverpool or Arsenal would take home the silverware off an advantage in goal difference.

READ MORE: Heated Exchange Unfolds Between Kevin De Bruyne & Pep Guardiola, Leaves Manchester City Fans Divided- “Pep Is Not Serious”