Pep Guardiola makes Premier League title prediction after falling behind Liverpool

Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager, has speculated on the points tally needed to secure the Premier League title this season as his team vies for a fifth consecutive championship. Liverpool currently leads the way in the standings.

Despite suffering an unexpected loss to Bournemouth, ending its unbeaten run in the 2024/25 season, the reigning champion remains in a strong position, sitting just two points behind leaders Liverpool. Arsenal, last season's title contenders, trail by an additional five points.

While Manchester City has consistently surpassed the 90-point mark in recent seasons to clinch the title, Guardiola doesn't foresee the need for such a high total this time around due to the strain on players. He feels more dropped points are coming.

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When asked if a lower points total could win the league this season, he responded: "Of course, absolutely. If we'd had five more days to prepare and recover (for Bournemouth), maybe we would have been better. Or maybe not, who knows. I talked about the calendar for the season when we were winning, not just now because we lost a game. The reality is they won, we congratulate them."

This season's fixture schedule has seen significant changes. In addition to their domestic duties, clubs also have two more matches in the Champions League group stage following a major UEFA overhaul. Manchester City is also slated to participate in the revamped FIFA Club World Cup in the summer.

Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Rodri have been sidelined due to injuries, with Rodri even hinting at player strikes due to increasing demands. The situation has worsened for Manchester City as they're likely to be without John Stones and Ruben Dias until after the international break.

Guardiola expressed his concerns, saying: "It's the reality we are living now," noting the immense number of games played. He compared the squad's workload to that of NBA players but pointed out they receive much more rest.

"It's like NBA, but they have four months holiday and we have three weeks," he said. "You have injuries for a long time like didn't happen before. It's normal, it's going to happen. We have to handle it."

When asked if he felt worn out from the pressures, Guardiola remained spirited: "I don't play, I don't run. I'm sitting. We won a lot and people expect we're going to win all the time. It's the first game we've lost in the Premier League in 2024. We're in November. It's unbelievable."

Guardiola remains optimistic despite the setbacks. "We'll learn from this and we'll improve," he added. "I'm fine. I still have energy. I wanted to win (on Saturday). Congratulations to Bournemouth is all I can say."

Liverpool.com says: There is a long way to go until things are decided but the situation looks good for Liverpool at the moment. It isn't unreasonable to think the winner's points total will be smaller this time around but no one can be aiming any lower just in case. It is likely to be 90+, even if it isn't high in the 90s as it has been in the recent past.