The summit match between Manchester City and host Liverpool
will be the first opportunity for the two rival teams in the
English Premier League to show their desire for the title, but
City coach Pep Guardiola believes the conflict this year will
feature more high-profile candidates.
City and Liverpool marched shoulder to shoulder in an
unprecedented struggle for the title in the 2018-2019 season,
before City won the title with 98 points compared to 97 for
Liverpool, but the latter won it last year by a large margin from
its closest pursuers.
The current season also proved unprecedented after Liverpool’s
humiliating 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa while City, 10th, won just
one of their first six games.
“Liverpool is the strongest candidate, but in light of the Corona
pandemic, the situation has become different,” Guardiola told
reporters before Sunday’s clash at the Etihad Stadium.
He added, “There are other strong teams. Leicester have
maintained their form since late last season and Arsenal took a
big step forward to be among the favorites and Tottenham
Hotspur and coach Jose Mourinho have the team they want.”
He continued: “Chelsea at the beginning, but it is very stable
now and has a large squad that enables him to follow the policy
of rotation between the prominent players. Perhaps Manchester
United is not currently in terms of results at its best, but we saw
how efficient the squad was last season.”
He concluded by saying, “I think that many teams will compete
for the title this season.”
City will miss the efforts of injured striker Sergio Aguero, but
Gabriel Jesus is ready for Sunday’s game, which Guardiola says
is important but not decisive even if the loss leaves him eight
points behind Jürgen Klopp’s side.
