EPL

City can't think about being champions after Spurs loss - Guardiola

By Sports Desk February 05, 2023

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City are "not in the position to think about being champions" after they were beaten 1-0 at Tottenham on Sunday.

Harry Kane became Spurs' all-time top scorer with the only goal of the game, striking a blow to City's chances of retaining the title and doing fierce rivals Arsenal a big favour.

A day after the table-topping Gunners slipped to a shock loss against Everton, City were unable to capitalise and trail Mikel Arteta's side – who have a game in hand – by five points.

City boss Guardiola told Sky Sports: "We are not in the position to think about being champions. [We can only think about] the next game.

"Tottenham have a fantastic team, and they punish you. They have a lot of quality up front. [We must] give a lot of credit to them.

"We started really well, but after we made a mistake, they punished us. At 1-0 down, it is different. It is not easy. We dropped three points.W

It was a fifth loss from as many visits to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for City, who have also failed to score in any of their trips to the ground.

Guardiola said of that record: "Sooner or later, it is going to change, but it is strange we haven't scored one goal.

"To find an explanation is not easy. We found the positions, [we] made good balls to the channels, but [we] missed [that] last action up front."

Related items

  • Sir Jim Ratcliffe: Man Utd are not looking at marquee names like Kylian Mbappe Sir Jim Ratcliffe: Man Utd are not looking at marquee names like Kylian Mbappe

    Sir Jim Ratcliffe has warned against the prospect of Manchester United trying to land superstar signings like Jude Bellingham or Kylian Mbappe.

    The Ineos chairman is taking control of footballing operations at United following his recent minority purchase and wants to turn them back into the force they once were.

    However, he believes spending big on marquee signings is not the way to prosper.

    Appearing as a guest on Geraint Thomas’ Cycling Club podcast, the 71-year-old was asked whether he would try and sign England star Bellingham.

    He replied: “He is a great footballer. It’s not where our focus is, the solution isn’t spending a lot of money on a couple of great players.

    “They have done that, if you look at the last 10 years, they have spent a lot of money on a couple of great players.

    “The first thing we need to do is get the right people in the right boxes who are managing and organising the club.

    “And make sure we get recruitment right, it is such a vital part of football today.”

    Later in the podcast he was given a choice of signing Mbappe for United or cyclist Tadej Pogacar for his Ineos team and he said: “I would rather sign the next Mbappe rather than spend a fortune buying success.

    “It’s not that clever buying Mbappe. Anyone could figure that one out. More challenging is to find the next Mbappe or next Bellingham or next Roy Keane.”

    Radcliffe is working with his long-term right-hand man Dave Brailsford at United, with Omar Berrada incoming as chief executive.

    And he said it would be a “longer road” to make United great again.

    “The two people who are most focused on it would be Dave and myself, in terms of how we resolve it all,” he added.

    “We’ve now got Omar Berrada of course, our new CEO from Manchester City, who is still on gardening leave at the moment, he’ll be a big part of it.

    “But it’s Dave and myself really.

    “You have to believe with Manchester Utd, if we get all the details right, all the right people in the right boxes, doing the right things in the right environment, that sporting elite environment that the results will drop out the bottom.

    “Those things are not right at Manchester United today as we’ve said very clearly.

    “It’s not a light switch, it’s a much longer road to travel because there’s so many aspects to it.”

  • 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.