Pep Guardiola says it’s too early to write off his Manchester City’s title defence after falling eight points behind Liverpool after eight games into the Premier League.
City were stunned 2-0 by Wolves on Sunday, the champions’ second league defeat of a stuttering start to the campaign.
It leaves Guardiola’s hopes of clinching a hattrick of Prem titles hanging by a thread.
And the Spaniard admits that the City struggled to hold their nerve against a Wolves side that put his injury-hit defence under a lot of pressure as they look to chase down Jurgen Klopp’s manne.
DEJECTED: Manchester City players Nicolas Otamendi, Sergio Aguero (C) and Raheem Sterling (R). Picture: Peter Powell/EPA.
He says: “We got a little bit nervous.
“It is a lot of points. They [Liverpool] don’t drop many points.
“It is better not to think that one team is eight points ahead.
“The distance is big – I know that. Liverpool are not dropping points.
“But we are in October, still a lot of games and competitions.
“We told the players, ‘Come on guys, a lot of games to play, we did it and we’re going to do it again’.”
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/IlkayGuendogan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IlkayGuendoganafter today's result.
🔵 #ManCity #MCIWOL pic.twitter.com/LafS99V0NE
— Manchester City (@ManCity)
Ilkay Gundogan agreed with his manager that City were anxious in and out of possession, failing to find the net in a home league game for the first time since May 2018.
The midfielder adds: “Maybe we get nervous and don’t 100 percent feel the confidence is there.
“When you are in front and top of the table, it feels great to look at it.
“Now it is tougher to look at it, there is quite a gap already and none of us are watching the table now.”