EPL

Guardiola hails Liverpool for pushing Man City to new heights

By Sports Desk May 21, 2022

Pep Guardiola hailed the efforts of Liverpool for pushing Manchester City to new heights in the battle for the Premier League title.

City are one point ahead of the Reds heading into their final match of the season against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium, with Jurgen Klopp's side at home to Wolves on Sunday.

Victory over Steven Gerrard's Villa would ensure a fourth Premier League title of the Guardiola era in just five years at City, with only Alex Ferguson winning more (13).

It would also make the Spaniard the outright leader for English top-flight titles among non-British managers, going one clear of Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho.

Guardiola believes his side would not have achieved what they have without the competition from Liverpool, who remain in the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple.

"We would not achieve what we have without them [Liverpool]," Guardiola told Sky Sports. "We have our opponent who brings you to the limits, otherwise complacency arrives.

"The players are not stupid, I do not need to tell them how good they are. They play against them and see them on TV and I said, 'wow, if we want to be there, we have to do it'.

"I think it is quite similar like they should think about us."

Guardiola heaped praise on his players as they stand on the brink of back-to-back titles.

"Incredible, top human quality players and persons," he added. "Without that, no tactics, no ideas. Nothing, nothing, top-quality players.

"All the other managers have amazing ideas and tactics. The praise in the football world is so suspicious. Every time you give good praise to me, I do not believe you. Not for one second, I'm so suspicious.

"Behind that is the players, the quality, the talent, the effort. When we are good is when we try to altogether follow one idea, but my ideas are not more special than the other ones.

"I have found a lot of incredibly talented managers in the Championship, or the Premier League who do not have success. Do you know why? They do not have the good players that we have, it is as simple as that."

Victory over Villa would secure City's eighth top-flight title, the outright fifth-most in history since its inception in 1888, while it will be their sixth Premier League title (outright second-most after Manchester United’s 13).

Related items

  • Ham hails 'elite' Russell after Lakers star shooter matches 3s record Ham hails 'elite' Russell after Lakers star shooter matches 3s record

    D'Angelo Russell earned the plaudits of coach Darvin Ham after he tied Nick Van Exel's franchise record for 3s in a single season for the Los Angeles Lakers.

    Russell went 6-for-10 from the 3-point line in a 136-105 demolition job of the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

    The 28-year-old finish with 27 points and 10 assists as the Lakers bounced back from successive defeats.

    Russell has now shot 183 3-pointers this season, tying Van Exel's all-time single-season Lakers record, which was set in 1994-95. To get there, Russell had to surpass the late Kobe Bryant, who sunk 180 3s in the 2005-06 campaign.

    It left Ham to laud the star guard, with the Lakers coach saying: "He has a green room. Not a green light [to shoot]. A green room.

    "His prowess from the 3-point line, you know, it's really, really elite. And we need every bit of it."

    Russell added: "It's really cool, honestly, just to know that, to get credit for it.

    "It's just really cool. I said I don't want to underdo it, understate it, overdo it. I just feel like it's really cool to just be a part of something like that.

    "I think I did something like that in Brooklyn, as well. Just to get credit for your game and what you work through and showcase it every night."

    Indeed, Russell set the Nets' record for 3s in a season, with 234 in the 2018-19 campaign.

    Russell's teammate Anthony Davis looks forward to a new franchise record being set when the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

    "He's able to get going and fill up the stat sheet with his scoring, and it's a big thing for him, big thing for us as a team," Davis said Russell.

    "Obviously, there's been a lot going on around D-Lo, and just to be able to do that and us embrace him and he sees that, feels the love, that's good for him."

  • Football rumours: Raheem Sterling committed to helping Chelsea win silverware Football rumours: Raheem Sterling committed to helping Chelsea win silverware
    What the papers say

    Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling will give Saudi Arabian clubs the cold shoulder this summer, the Evening Standard reports, with the 29-year-old England international – who was booed  by Blues fans at the weekend – set on helping the Stamford Bridge club get their hands on silverware next season.

    Borussia Dortmund would be keen to bring on-loan winger Jadon Sancho back to the club on a permanent basis, but only if Manchester United are willing to accept half the £73million they bought the England international for in 2021, the Mirror reports.

    Chelsea striker Cole Palmer, 21, is to be rewarded with a new and improved contract after an impressive start to life at Stamford Bridge following his summer move from Manchester City, says Football Insider.

    Social media round-upPlayers to watch

    Joshua Kimmich: Bayern Munich are open to selling the Germany midfielder, however he is only interested in joining Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid or Barcelona, writes Florian Plettenberg.

    Eddie Nketiah: Wolves are in the hunt to sign the England striker, 24, who may leave Arsenal in the summer, reports Teamtalk.

  • On this day in 2013: Michael Owen announces decision to retire at end of season On this day in 2013: Michael Owen announces decision to retire at end of season

    Former England striker Michael Owen announced he would retire at the end of the season on this day in 2013.

    Owen, then 33, had signed a one-year contract with Stoke after leaving Manchester United the previous summer but his time in the Potteries was hampered by a hamstring injury, contributing to his decision to call it a day.

    Owen scored 40 goals in 89 England appearances – making him the fourth highest scorer for his country’s men’s team at the time – and played at the top level for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle and Manchester United.

    “It is with an immense amount of pride that I am announcing my intention to retire,” Owen said on March 19, 2013.

    “I have been very fortunate in that my career has taken me on a journey I could only have dreamed of.

    “I now feel it is the right time to bring the curtain down on my career.”

    Owen burst on to the scene as a teenager at Liverpool and made England’s 1998 World Cup squad aged only 18.

    His memorable solo goal against Argentina in that tournament made him a world superstar.

    Owen scored 220 goals in club football, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Cup, as well as being a three-time League Cup winner.

    The peak of his club career came at Liverpool where he scored 158 goals in 297 appearances, including a late double in the Reds’ 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Arsenal in 2001 – , before moving to Real Madrid in 2004.

    Owen returned to the Premier League with Newcastle in August 2005 and, after four injury-blighted years on Tyneside, moved to Manchester United on a free transfer and won his sole Premier League title at Old Trafford in 2011.

    He won the Ballon d’Or in 2001 – the first English player to collect the accolade since Kevin Keegan in 1979.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.