Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged Liverpool as the favourites to clinch the Premier League title after his team’s goalless draw against Arsenal at home.
Liverpool secured a comeback victory of 2-1 against Brighton on Sunday, propelling Jurgen Klopp’s squad to the top of the table with a two-point lead over Arsenal, while City sit in third place, trailing by three points.
Guardiola’s team, the three-time consecutive champions, have a history of embarking on lengthy winning streaks towards the end of the season to surpass their competitors in the race for the top spot.
However, Guardiola admitted that this season’s title chase is not within their control.
“Always who is first is favourite,” Guardiola said when asked if Liverpool were “clear favourites” to win the league.
“The second favourite is Arsenal and we are third…It’s not in our hands. All we can do is think of Aston Villa (at home on Wednesday). Always when we were top of the league, we were favourites. It was in our hands. Now it’s not. It’s simple.”
City and Arsenal battled fiercely at the Etihad, but the match yielded few opportunities and is unlikely to be remembered for long. Guardiola’s side failed to score at home for the first time in 58 matches across all competitions.
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