Pep Guardiola has waved the white flag in the title race by admitting Manchester City’s Premier League hopes are over.
The Blues boss suffered the worst league defeat of his management career when they were battered, beaten and eventually humiliated by a rampant Everton.
It was their second defeat on Merseyside in a fortnight, and their fourth Premier League defeat in their last eight games, and after consistently refusing to give up catching leaders Chelsea despite their indifferent form, Guardiola now knows it is over.
When asked if the title is over, he replied: “The first one (first place), yeah. The first one is a 10-point gap and that is a lot of course.
“The second one (second place) is three points, so we have to see. I spoke with the players for the last three weeks to forget about the table.
“Focus on the next game and do our best. After that, at the end of the season, we’ll analyse how our level was, our performance, the coach, the players. After we are going to decide.”
Guardiola defiantly suggested that City were desperately unlucky in the game after dominating the opening half, and were undone by a sucker punch when Romelu Lukaku scored brilliantly with Everton’s first real attempt on goal.
Yet the reality was the visitors simply caved in after Kevin Mirallas scored a fine second a minute after the break, showing a complete lack of fight and spirit as their fragile defence was again exposed by the dominant Lukaku.
Guardiola though, believes the problems are not in defence – despite this 4-0 drubbing – but in attack when his side fail to take their many chances.
Asked what he can change, he said: “The consistency in clean sheets depends on how we create in front. If we scored the two or three goals in the first half then you go ‘we deserved that’.
“The defence is not the reason why, it is a consequence of the way you attack. If are clinical then the midfield players are confident. Football is a mix for absolutely everything.
“It would be a huge mistake to blame everything on one person, but of course this is the first time I’ve conceded a lot of goals. It’s never happened before. That’s why I have to know the reason why.”
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