Pep Guardiola sends Liverpool ‘one year’ warning with threat veiled in ‘deserved’ congratulation
Pep Guardiola has sent Liverpool a “one year” warning, as he hinted at the threat of Manchester City when stating the Reds’ title triumph was a “well deserved” one.
Liverpool won their first Premier League title under Arne Slot on Sunday, in his first season in charge. They capped off the title with a 5-1 thumping of Tottenham, with four games still to play in the season.
In winning the title, the Reds finally brought to an end a Manchester City dynasty, in which they’d won the title in each of the last four seasons. City have recovered from some poor points in the season, currently fourth, and a point off third.
Their manager, Guardiola, congratulated Liverpool on their title, but also threatened that his City side will be coming for them next term.
“Before we start, on behalf of myself and the club we want to congratulate Liverpool for their Premier League victory,” Guardiola said.
“Well deserved, no doubt about that, a fantastic team. Give me one year, like it happened the last four years and hopefully next season we can do better and compete until the end of the season. Liverpool, congratulations.”
City have been way off the pace in terms of the title race, and caused Liverpool no problems when they faced them, losing 2-0 to the Reds twice this campaign.
Last season, both league matches between the pair were drawn, highlighting how even they were, but no longer are at the moment.
Guardiola has already vowed this season to take City back to the competitive side they have been for essentially the entirety of his reign.
In December, he said: “I will not give up. I want to do it. And with the situations that we have, we have to do it.
“Of course I want it. Everybody wants it. I don’t want to disappoint my people, in terms of the club, in terms of the fans, or the people who love this club.”
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City have four more Premier League games to play this season, against Wolves, Southampton, Bournemouth and Fulham, as well as the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, before the Club World Cup campaign in June.
There, they will attempt to show they can still cut it with the big hitters of world football, before coming back to attempt to regain the Premier League title next season.
READ MORE: Alan Shearer names five teams who will challenge Liverpool for the title next season
