The Spanish manager believes the current table doesn’t lie and Jose Mourinho’s side can’t be taken lightly
Pep Guardiola believes Tottenham are Premier League title contenders, but the Manchester City manager feels this may be the most open title race since his arrival in England.
City suffered a 2-0 loss to Tottenham on Saturday, a result which sees them sit 11th in the table, eight points behind leaders Spurs but having played one less game.
With just 10 goals scored through eight league games, that is City’s worst return since managing just six after the same number of matches in 2006-07.
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Guardiola said Jose Mourinho’s Spurs deserved to be considered title threats as he rued his side’s lack of goals.
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“They are top of the league. So obviously they are more contenders than anyone else right now,” he told a news conference.
“Of course, there are a lot of points to play for, we’re eight points down, we have one game less, but there are a lot of teams in front of us. We have to start winning games, if not that will not be possible, we know it. We have to try to win games, we know it.
“In terms of the game, I think we are not far away, but we struggle to score the goals right now, and it is not about particularly for one person or the other one. That is the reality, 10 goals…is not good enough.”
Since arriving at City in 2016, Guardiola has helped the club win two Premier League titles – by 19 points in 2017-18 and one the following campaign.
The other two were won by Chelsea by seven points in 2016-17 and Liverpool by 18 last season.
Guardiola thinks this could be the most open title race since he arrived in England, with Spurs just five points clear of sixth-placed Aston Villa.
“Well, the first year, I remember Chelsea yeah, in the beginning it was so tight, but in the end they take the advantage. The second season, and the third, and the fourth, it was so clear for City two times and Liverpool once,” he said.
“This looks like [the most open title race], but again it is nine [sic] games I think we have played so still a lot to play.
“We will see, you know playing a lot of games this season how it is going to happen. We will see.”
City’s return of 12 points from eight games is their lowest at this stage of a Premier League campaign since 2008-09, when they accumulated 10.
