Pep Guardiola has once again blamed the schedule for his side’s recent slump in form – although Liverpool won’t have much sympathy for the Manchester City boss.
After picking up just one win in their last 10 games in all competitions, City’s hopes of silverware look to be in major peril. They’re already out of the Carabao Cup, while they have fallen off the pace in the Premier League and their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League remains in the balance with two games to go.
The defending league champions have struggled with injuries this season, with their spectacular downturn in form seeing them drop nine points behind leaders Liverpool ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby against Ruben Amorim’s United.
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And, speaking ahead of his side’s latest outing, Guardiola made his feelings clear on where he feel the problems come from.
“The reason why the situation is that we have is just one in terms of the injuries. It’s just one reason, it’s the schedule,” Guardiola told Sky Sports.
The City boss went on to add: “You can survive for a few games but we’ve been doing it for over a month with players with a lot of minutes in their legs.
“It’s not because they don’t want it – it is because of the calendar, the schedule. We will go to play in the Club World Cup in Orlando next summer and then we have to start the Premier League three weeks later. It’s impossible.
“The Premier League defend their business so I defend mine. My business is my players. My success is my players and I want to protect them.
“These players have done something no other team in this country has done and these players would have done it again were it not for the schedule.”
There will of course be plenty of managers who will have sympathy for Guardiola. Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp may well be one of them, having rallied against the relentless schedule a number of times during his time in charge at Anfield.
Arne Slot though has managed to weaken the City boss’ argument this season. Like Guardiola, he has relied on many of the same players for the majority of the season, but the Reds’ results have been in stark contrast to their title rivals’.
Indeed, even with Ibrahima Konate, Conor Bradley and Kostas Tsimikas out injured, and Andy Robertson sent off during the early stages against Fulham on Saturday, Liverpool still managed to earn a point – and it could have easily been more, such was the resilience Slot’s side showed.
Guardiola’s reasoning then doesn’t really wash when you look at how the Reds have performed this season, all while facing exactly the same challenges as City. Much like Liverpool two years ago, Guardiola may have to look a little deeper for the reason for his side’s struggles.
