PEP JAB Despite their massive struggles this season, Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has sent a jab Liverpool's way. Picture: Darren Staples/AFP
Image: Darren Staples/AFP
Pep Guardiola has taunted Premier League leaders Liverpool over their failure to match Manchester City's record 100-point tally.
Guardiola's troubled side are trailing 16 points behind Liverpool after their bid for a fifth successive English crown collapsed in astonishing fashion.
Liverpool are seven points clear of second-placed Arsenal as they chase a 20th title, which would equal Manchester United's record.
But even if Arne Slot's men go on to secure the trophy, they now cannot match the record points total set when City won the first of Guardiola's six titles in 2017-18.
Responding to criticism of City's spluttering dynasty after Tuesday's 3-2 home defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League play-off round first leg, Guardiola took a tetchy swipe at Liverpool.
"We took all the records in England. Who would do 100 points now in modern football? I'm waiting," Guardiola told reporters on Friday.
"Or four in a row? I'm waiting - with clubs like Bournemouth, Fulham and Wolves that you have to play.
"The standards, we dictated. Have you seen Liverpool this season? They cannot do 100 points already - 99 but not 100."
While Liverpool may not surpass fifth-placed City's record mark, Guardiola accepts his team have fallen behind their rivals this season.
"I asked 'Gundo' (Ilkay Gundogan) yesterday, 'two years ago you were here, you were one year in Barcelona and you come back here, did you see changes in the Premier League?'," said Guardiola, whose team host top four rivals Newcastle on Saturday.
"He said massively, the difference was unbelievable. It's the truth. The teams are much, much, much better in all departments. People prepare so well.
"We cannot do it for the (injury) problems we've had. There are a lot of players, with the amount of minutes they have had, who are so tired, emotionally as well.
"But guys, we deserve to have a bad season. We deserve not to be like we were. They are human beings, it can happen. We weren't consistent and we haven't had the players at their best.
"It's the first time that me and many of the players have lived this position but we have to accept it (and recognise) what happened in the past was not normal."
Guardiola believes the difference from previous successful seasons is that City are no longer making the most of their dominance of possession.
"I accept when the opponents have the ball, I'm going to suffer," he said.
"But now we are suffering when we have the ball. It never happened before and, (right) now, I cannot change it. We are suffering because we are human beings."
AFP