Pep Guardiola has written off Manchester City's chances of winning the Premier League title unless new players are brought into the club and injured players return.
After winning the league for a fourth consecutive season in 2023-24, it would perhaps have been understandable if the Citizens experienced a dip in form - winning a fifth straight title would be unthinkable.
However, few could have predicted that the champions would be nine points from first-placed Liverpool before Christmas having played a game more than the league leaders.
In an interview with TNT Sports before City's game against Aston Villa on Saturday, Guardiola admitted that his side cannot catch Liverpool, saying: "No. We don't have the players. It's more difficult. I don't have the feeling now. Maybe it's going to happen, who knows?"
Perhaps the former Barcelona boss' uncertainty relates not only to the current state of the title race, but also the upcoming January transfer window, as any potential incomings could shift the balance in the Citizens' favour.
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What do Man City need?
While the absence of Rodri has no doubt been confounded by injuries to key defensive personal such as Ruben Dias and John Stones, City have become far too reliant on the Spanish midfielder, with the team often looking lost without him dictating play in the middle of the pitch.
Finding an alternative to the 28-year-old should be Guardiola's priority in January, and perhaps he should look to Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi given he has a proven track record of excellent performances at the base of midfield.
However, with clubs like Liverpool having shown an interest in signing the Spaniard in the past, City would likely face fierce competition for his signature.
Guardiola emphasised that he could not think too far ahead into the future given his side's current predicaments, saying: "I have the feeling that now we have to think in the short term. We cannot put a lot of big, big targets.
"When you want to achieve something important, like win the Premier League, arrive in the latter stages of the Champions League, how you have to behave is this one concept: consistency. All this time we were incredibly consistent and now we are not."
Though the City boss essentially acknowledged that his side will not win the Premier League or Champions League titles, fans are unlikely to revolt against the manager that has brought them six league titles.
Lewis Nolan
