Pep Guardiola makes Saudi Arabia feelings clear as Man City title charge falters

17 December 2023 , 22:30

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Pep Guardiola tried to put a positive spin on Manchester City's participation in the Club World Cup this week.

City may be crowned world champions in Saudi Arabia, but they are likely to face a significant game of catch-up in the Premier League title race upon their return from the Middle East. When City are next in action domestically, away to a resurgent Everton on December 27, the Treble winners could find themselves 10 points behind Liverpool or eight behind current league leaders Arsenal.

Although they have proved they can reel opponents in and overtake them, most recently Mikel Arteta's men last season, a record fourth league title may be beyond City, given their current inconsistency. One win in their last six league games and seven points from a possible 18 is not the form of champions, with Guardiola admitting his side cannot afford any more domestic slip-ups.

“We have to win games to make it depend on ourselves,” said Guardiola. “It's not the time to think about the distance, what they do and what would be possible.

“I have the feeling here that the last three games we played here, where we dropped points, we were excellent. The reality is we could not win, but the performances were really good. At the end, we were not able to close the games.

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“We love to go to play in the Club World Cup. To go there you have to win the Champions League. I'm very pleased and excited to go there to try and win it.

“The Champions League is more important, but to play this tournament that we have never played before, you need to have won it.

“Of course, it's nice. Years ago we could not imagine being there, but we are. Today it's more difficult, but we have to lift the mood. The schedule is what it is, the results are what they are and we have to accept it. But if we don't improve, it's more difficult.”

Pep Guardiola has seen his side concede a number of crucial late goals of late (Getty Images)

Conceding late goals has been City's undoing in recent weeks. A 90th-minute penalty to draw 4-4 at Chelsea, an 80th-minute equaliser shipped against Liverpool in a 1-1 draw, a 90th-minute goal to draw 3-3 at home to Tottenham and one in the 74th minute to lose 1-0 at Aston Villa.

Here, City seemed to be cruising to a comfortable win, two goals up, until their familiar frailties were exposed by Palace's stirring late comeback, with goals in the 75th and 95th minutes – the latter a penalty calmly dispatched by Michael Olise - to snatch a point.

Guardiola admitted he could not explain his side's failure to close out games. “I would like to know,” said the City boss after his side's latest implosion.

“Football is about closing games. Don't give away that penalty and the game will be over. But Palace have quality, the strikers have physicality and have always been really good. They have exceptional players.

“They defended really well, we were patient enough and had enough chances to score more goals, but they had 10 players in the 18-yard box, so it was difficult and they didn't want to come out. In the last minutes, when it was 2-1, we had to control it better.”

Guardiola must hope a change of scene – and some welcome sunshine – will provide his players with the reset they need to return home revitalised and embark on the kind of remorseless winning run that has seen them win five of the last six league titles.

But even that may be beyond this formidable side.