Kevin De Bruyne, one of Manchester City’s key players, has recently emphasized that Pep Guardiola’s team is not currently focusing on Liverpool or the Premier League title race. Despite this, the Belgian midfielder has not entirely ruled out the possibility of a dramatic turnaround for the reigning champions.
City, who currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, trail Liverpool by a significant 12 points. To make matters worse, Liverpool also have a game in hand, further widening the gap. However, after a commanding 6-0 victory over Ipswich Town, City are now unbeaten in their last five league matches. This recent form is a marked improvement following a poor stretch between late October and Boxing Day, where City struggled immensely, managing just one win while suffering nine defeats in 13 matches across all competitions.
This season has been a challenging one for City in the league. They have already recorded six losses and five draws, dropping a total of 28 points. In comparison, during the 2019/20 season, when they finished as runners-up to Liverpool, they dropped just 33 points over the entire campaign. The significant difference in form underscores the uphill battle City now face to challenge for the title.
With a maximum of 86 points still attainable, City would need an extraordinary run of near-perfect performances for the remainder of the season. At the same time, Liverpool would have to endure a major slump to give City any realistic chance of reclaiming the league crown. The task appears daunting, and the margin for error is incredibly slim.
After the emphatic win over Ipswich, De Bruyne spoke candidly about the team’s current situation. He stated: *“I don’t think we need to look at Liverpool for the moment. We just need to do a better job, get more wins, and focus on our big game in Paris. We know we’ve dropped too many points, and the goal is to win as many games as possible.”*
De Bruyne’s comments highlight the team’s immediate priorities: improving their own performances and winning matches. While their position in the title race looks precarious, City appear to be focusing on short-term goals rather than dwelling on the gap between themselves and Liverpool. Nevertheless, the challenges they face are significant, and it will require both exceptional consistency on their part and a downturn in Liverpool’s form to keep any title hopes alive. For now, City’s fight to remain competitive in the league remains an uphill struggle.
