Pep Guardiola claimed Manchester City are “breathing down the necks” of Arsenal after their remarkable victory at Liverpool but must improve to reel in the Premier League leaders.
City were staring at another Anfield defeat that would have left them nine points adrift of Arsenal following Dominik Szoboszlai’s outstanding 74th‑minute free-kick. But late goals from Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland reduced the gap to six points and delivered City’s first win at Anfield in front of a crowd since 2003.
Silva said: “The title race is over if we lost this game.”
Guardiola responded: “I’m maybe more optimistic than them. Nine points, watching Arsenal, it is difficult to think they are going to lose more than three games. But in football you never know.
“I have a feeling that improving a little bit will not be enough to compete against Arsenal but still we have margin [to improve]. We have to play them at home, of course we have to beat them. And 13 games in the Premier League, from my point of view and from my little experience, is a lot.
“When you go into the last games playing any team in a relegation battle, it’s a proper game. Because they live to survive and have long weeks to prepare, [whereas] you come from FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Champions League. That makes an influence in the title race. That’s why being nine, 10, 11 points is more difficult. That’s why all we can do is breathe down the neck of Arsenal, be there, and try if they slip, if they make a mistake, use it.”
City thought they had a third in the 100th minute when Rayan Cherki scored from the halfway line with the Liverpool keeper Alisson out of his goal. Szoboszlai was sent off for pulling back Haaland as they pursued the ball, however, with the striker also pulling the midfielder’s shirt, and City were awarded a free-kick.
Guardiola said: “It’s common sense, no? We won the game and now Szoboszlai can’t play [at Sunderland on Wednesday]. I know we pull him but how many pulls are there in a game that referees play on? So give a goal, 3-1, so he can play and we are happy.”
Arne Slot believed Marc Guéhi, who came close to moving to Anfield last summer, should have been sent off for pulling back Mohamed Salah when the forward ran through with the game goalless. Guéhi received a yellow card and the home side squandered the free‑kick on the edge of the City area.
Liverpool’s head coach said: “I can live with the fact, although I don’t like it, that the referee follows the rulebook and Dominik makes a foul on Haaland in that situation which is a clear shirt‑pull and he was through on goal so he would have scored. That’s a red card.
“If you follow the rulebook, and you have a clear shirt‑pull by Guéhi on Mo Salah, who for eight years has been scoring that ball 100 times out of 100, and it is not a red card, then there is more of my frustration.
“My main frustration is in the shirt‑pull on Mo Salah at 0-0. Clear and open, one vs one on the goalkeeper.”
