Man City is ranked third on the rankings. They are two points behind Liverpool and Aston Villa and will drop to 4th place if Arsenal does not lose to Fulham in this round.
Pep Guardiola and his team are aiming for a fourth consecutive Premier League title, but the Spanish coach believes that Liverpool currently has a better chance of winning the championship.
“The title race is very tense, we are not top of the league, Liverpool is stronger,” Guardiola said on BBC’s Match of the Day program after a 2-0 victory over Sheffield United on December 30.
“We’ve had injuries and some problems. Man City have won trophies, some important trophies, our level is really good, I must say. Now let’s Take time off, we all need it. January is less stressful than November and December so we will prepare well.”
Goals from Rodri and Julian Alvarez helped Man City overcome Sheffield in the final match of 2023. They have won their last 4 matches in all competitions and are preparing to welcome some stars back after injury like Erling Haaland , Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian midfielder returned to the squad for the first time since August, and although he did not play, coach Guardiola was still grateful to have him back.
“The standing ovation when he warmed up told me how much everyone wanted Kevin back. It was a long injury for all of us but it’s nice that he’s back,” Guardiola said.
In the next match, Man City will face Huddersfield in the third round of the FA Cup on January 7 and it is likely that De Bruyne will play in this match.