Pep Guardiola was critical of Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville and Micah Richards as he vowed Man City would win the title, with the Liverpool legend responding.
Following Man City‘s 3-3 draw with Tottenham on Sunday – their third consecutive draw in the league – the Sky Sports studio debated their title chances.
While Carragher was largely positive around the Manchester side’s chances of retaining for a fourth successive triumph, Guardiola took exception.
“I have a feeling that if we maintain that level, we’ll win the Premier League. We will win it again,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
Guardiola added: “I don’t have anything to say about the pundits.
Pep Guardiola has a message for Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards ?#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/lG3xfXsGa8
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 6, 2023
“[Neville] knows how difficult it is otherwise [he] would’ve won four Premier Leagues in the best period of Man United. But he didn’t do it.
“I see my team, how they fight, how they press, how they continue until the end and how upset they are after we concede.
“Maybe, maybe I’m wrong and they are seeing everything that I’m not able to see, but I don’t have that feeling.
“Jamie Carragher didn’t win one. Micah Richards didn’t win four Premier Leagues in a row. Never, ever.”
Winning three, or potentially four, titles in a row is undoubtedly impressive, but the suggestion that anyone who has failed to do so is unqualified to judge is clearly wrong.
I think I’d have probably won one if Liverpool were owned by a nation state, and pushed the rules so far that the PL charged us 115 times!!
I was actually praising Pep’s team after the game on Sunday ????? https://t.co/EIW3B1AJve
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) December 5, 2023
Taking to Twitter after Guardiola’s criticism, former Liverpool centre-back Carragher issued the perfect, on-the-nose response.
“I think I’d have probably won one if Liverpool were owned by a nation state, and pushed the rules so far that the PL charged us 115 times!!” the 45-year-old wrote.
With a laughing emoji, he added: “I was actually praising Pep’s team after the game on Sunday.”
As Carragher pointed out, the reality is that, given the financial charges over them, any achievement for Guardiola’s City cannot be considered legitimate.
While the club’s owners from the Abu Dhabi royal family may have built the strongest squad, the allegations are that they have done so outside of the restrictions set by the Premier League.
It is, in fact, more noteworthy that the likes of Liverpool have managed to contend with City for so many years despite working within the rules themselves.
Per the Mail‘s Mike Keegan, City and the Premier League have now finally set a date for the hearing over their charges, but it will not be until late 2024.
