Pep ‘found out’ as pundit makes ‘strange’ Liverpool comparison

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola “has been found out this season,” according to Paul Merson.

Guardiola sought to become the first manager since Sir Alex Ferguson to win three consecutive Premier League titles this season after claiming the crown in 2018 and 2019.

But City’s defence of their throne has gone up in smoke, with Liverpool 22 points clear after 25 games and on course for the earliest title win in top-flight history.

The 2-0 defeat to Tottenham left City just two points above Leicester in third, having lost as many games this campaign as in 2017/18 and 2018/19 combined.

Merson says it “is strange” that people “would probably side with Man City on their day” to beat Liverpool, yet are so far off the pace of the leaders.

“Very worrying for Guardiola – the league is out, they are 22 points behind and I sit there and think: ‘He is fortunate to get away with it’,” he told Sky Sports.

“And I say that in a way that he has got 22 internationals, he has got two players for every position virtually.

“I think he thinks ‘I am that attacking that I do not have to play with a centre half’, but he has been found out this season.

“Do not get me wrong – they could play you next week and beat you 8-0, they have got that in them like they did at Villa Park, they just brushed them aside.

“But it is impossible for them to be 22 points behind, for how good Liverpool have been.

“If they played each other 10 times over the next few weeks, there is no way Liverpool would win all 10 games. You would probably side with Man City on their day. Which is strange.”