Pep Guardiola has claimed that ‘everyone supports Liverpool’, after his Man City side opened a three-point gap over the Reds at the top of the Premier League with a 5-0 victory over Newcastle on Sunday.
City were irresistible against the Magpies, with Raheem Sterling bagging a brace in the rout and Aymeric Laporte, Phil Foden and Rodri also netting.
The result gives City some breathing room at the summit after Liverpool slipped to a 1-1 draw against Tottenham on Saturday evening.
Speaking after the game, Guardiola claimed that the country would be rooting against his side in the title race, while also aiming a dig at the Reds’ recent poor return of Premier League trophies.
“Everyone in this country supports Liverpool, the media and everyone, of course because Liverpool has an incredible history behind in European competition – not in Premier Leagues, because they’ve won one in 30 years – but it’s not a problem at all,” he told beIN Sports at full-time.
“The situation is what it is. We need to do nine points or maybe six right now, it depends what happens in the next two games in terms of goal difference, but now Wednesday is the real, real final for us.”
“We are going to try to win there. Our destiny is in our hands and this is important. We have to look at ourselves. With one point or three points, nothing’s changed. We have to do it.”
City know that two wins and a draw from their three remaining games against Wolves, West Ham and Aston Villa would secure the Premier League title, though they could afford to drop more points if Liverpool do not have a flawless end to the campaign.
