Manchester City must 'work harder, play better and pray' to close gap on Liverpool, says boss Pep Guardiola, agencies claim.
Manchester City must "work harder, play better, and pray" if they are to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool, says manager Pep Guardiola.
The Reds are currently 13 points clear of Leicester City at the top of the table with a game in hand.
Reigning champions City are a further point behind, having lost two of their last five league games.
Guardiola added that his side were capable of putting pressure on Liverpool "when everyone is fit".
Asked what his side needed to do, he said: "Work harder, play better, and pray."
He added: "With all the squad, yes, [City can compete]. There are some things that we cannot control. We can do what we can do.
"But other issues we cannot control, like what a fantastic team like Liverpool have done so far and other issues. If everybody's fit, we can do it."
When asked if those "other issues" refereed to the video assistant referee system (VAR) and City's current injury list, Guardiola said: "You know that."
But he refuted suggestions that City's lack of activity during the summer transfer window was to blame for the club's slip down the table.
City signed four players during the period but have been plagued by injuries with Aymeric Laporte, Leroy Sane, David Silva and John Stones all currently sidelined.
"No. I think the team is fantastic. I love my team," said Guardiola. "We have had problems with injuries.
"Liverpool are incredible, they are champions of Europe and have dropped two points, so we must congratulate them.
"The distance between us is not as it should be, but it is what it is."
Guardiola on how Man City can catch Liverpool: Work harder, play better and pray!
The 2019-20 Premier League title race looks to be run, but Pep Guardiola still loves his "fantastic" Manchester City team.
Pep Guardiola says Manchester City must "work harder, play better and pray" to close the gap to Liverpool, but he is confident a fully fit squad could still compete for the Premier League title.
City have won the league in each of the past two seasons, yet they are now 14 points off the rapid pace set by Liverpool, who also have a game in hand heading into 2020.
While an ageing City squad have fallen below the standards set in previous campaigns, Guardiola is keen to emphasise the impact of key injuries on his team - with Aymeric Laporte and Leroy Sane out for long periods and David Silva and Sergio Aguero also dealing with issues.
As 2019 drew to an end, Guardiola also wanted to offer a reminder of City's success in 2019 - winning the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Community Shield before slumping to third in the table.
"How was 2019? Now the people say it was a disaster. We won four titles in 2019," he said. "It was an incredible year for us, which we have enjoyed a lot.
"In some games in this last part of the season, we struggled a little bit. But it was an incredible year for us."
