Pep Guardiola identifies major turning point in Man City season

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola has seen enough from Liverpool to still consider them title rivals. Manchester City are 13 points ahead of the Premier League champions with a game in hand after they beat Tottenham 3-0 hours after Liverpool had collapsed to a 3-1 defeat at Leicester.

direct to your inboxArsene Wenger thinks it's 'impossible' for Liverpool to catch Manchester City this season and has backed Pep Guardiola's side for the Premier League title.City picked up a superb 4-1 victory over the reigning champions last weekend to extend their advantage to 10 points with a game in-hand. Manchester United are in second-place, five points behind their neighbours, but have also played a game more.

straight to your inboxWhen Pep Guardiola, serial winner and excuse avoider, started whingeing that four minutes of added time is not enough, against the team second from bottom, the depth of the problem became apparent.Manchester City were down in ninth place after that stultifying 1-1 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion.They were not even in the conversation when the destiny of the Premier League title was discussed, and there was even talk among the more impatient Blues of the manager’s time

straight to your inboxKevin De Bruyne has returned to individual training as he continues to recover from injury.Manchester City have been without their talisman for the last five games since picking up an injury in the 2-0 win over Aston Villa three weeks ago.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola used the emphatic end of Liverpool's unbeaten home record to laugh off suggestions that Manchester City have killed off the title race.A 4-1 thumping of the champions at Anfield on Sunday was seen across the land as an effective ending of this season's competition between the two sides that have dominated English football in recent years, with City now ten points ahead of rivals Liverpool and with a game in hand as well as a superior goal difference.

straight to your inboxJurgen Klopp sounded on Friday like a man who was getting in his excuses ahead of Liverpool's title crunch with Manchester City.The Anfield manager's crass - and untrue - comments about the Blues having a two-week "Covid break" which had helped their push to the top of the table, sparked some sharp responses from his opposite number.It surprised and puzzled Pep Guardiola, who said he had thought the German was "not that type of manager".The City boss promised to question

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola has labelled Manchester City captain Fernandinho as an 'authentic leader' and believes he is a great example for Rodri to follow in the defensive-midfield position. Despite suffering an injury setback at the start of the season, Fernandinho, 35, has enjoyed a brilliant return to form in recent weeks which may lead to his contract, which is set to expire in the summer, be extended once again.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola has admitted that Manchester City star Bernardo Silva 'struggled' in the aftermath of his ban last season over an offensive tweet.Bernardo was suspended for one game in November, 2019, after he compared teammate Benjamin Mendy to a character on a packet of Conguitos chocolates in a social media post.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola continued to insist after Manchester City’s 12th consecutive win that his players needed to focus on their next game and their reaction to when they do drop points.But he made sure to tell them privately just how remarkable their recent run has been.City are enjoying the third-best winning run both under Guardiola and in their history.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola has revealed Ilkay Gundogan will definitely start against Sheffield United tomorrow.The Manchester City manager rarely reveals any of his hand in advance, but said that the midfielder, who is in scintillating form and has seven goals in his last eight games, is already on the teamsheet.Gundogan scored twice in the 5-0 rampage at West Brom in midweek, as well as filling the creative boots of Kevin de Bruyne by playing in a mire advanced position.And the Germany

straight to your inboxSergio Aguero is getting over his struggles with Covid-19 and Pep Guardiola believes he will bounce back to “make the difference” in Manchester City’s title challenge.The club’s all-time top goalscorer has “struggled” with fatigue after testing positive for the virus last week, ince when he has had to self-isolate at hom.But Guardiola said Aguero has told medical staff that he is fighting back – and confidently predicted he will bring his considerable influence to bear in

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola suggested Eric Garcia could leave Manchester City this month after resigning himself to losing the centre-back.Garcia stunned his club last summer when he informed them that he no longer saw a future for himself at the Etihad and wished instead to return to former club Barcelona.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola was left hoping on Wednesday night that the injuries that forced Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne off against Aston Villa will not be too serious.Manchester City continued their good form, winning their sixth straight league game and ninth in all competitions to reach the Premier League summit for the first time this season thanks to late goals from Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan.However, they had to make do without two of their starting XI for long spells.

direct to your inboxPep Guardiola called upon an answer he has used before when asked how he will spend his 50th birthday today.The Manchester City boss saw his side produce a professional performance mixed with moments of individual quality on Saturday to beat Crystal Palace 4-0 and move up to second in the Premier League with a game in hand over leaders Manchester United.United had earlier drawn 0-0 with Liverpool, allowing City to move above Liverpool and to within two points of United with a

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola praised his Manchester City defenders for toughening up and eradicating the errors that scuppered their Premier League title chances last season.The Blues moved into second in the table - their highest position of the campaign - with a 4-0 dismantling of Crystal Palace that leaves them two points behind neighbours United with a game in hand.Roy Hodgson declared afterwards that the team have all the qualities needed to win the Premier League, and while