Pep Guardiola slams Man City's 14-point lead over Liverpool as "fake" ahead of crunch clash

dailystar.co.uk:

Pep Guardiola has insisted that the 14-point lead Manchester City previously had over Liverpool in the title race was "fake" as the Premier League's big-guns prepare to slug it out on Sunday.City are bidding to retain their domestic crown again, while Liverpool are looking to reclaim the title they surrendered last year.

City were red-hot favourites to romp to a fourth title in five years after opening up a commanding double-digit lead over their old rivals.But Jurgen Klopp's side have reeled City back in by taking 31 points from a possible 33 since the turn of the year.

That means Liverpool head into Sunday's showdown just a single point behind Guardiola's side - with both teams knowing that they can nudge themselves into pole position for the title by winning at the Etihad.The momentum is with Liverpool after their stunning form in recent months, but Guardiola has insisted that the Reds were always still in with a shout of wrestling the title away from Manchester City, branding the 14-point deficit that stood between the two sides at the start of 2022 as "fake".The City chief said: "What is sure in Liverpool and City in the last few years, we raised the bar and raised the targets that the Premier League had before.

The other teams realised they had to push more if they wanted to chase us. In the last five or six years, one year we were a little bit out, last year they had injuries and United was there.