Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Manchester City - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - December 1, 2024 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola before the match REUTERS/Phil Noble
LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Taunted by the Kop with chants of "getting sacked in the morning", Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola afforded himself a wry smile and held up six fingers to remind the ecstatic Liverpool fans of how many Premier League titles he has won.
It was an unforgettable moment on a Sunday evening on Merseyside which could spell the end of Manchester City's domination of the English top flight.
Liverpool cruised to a 2-0 victory with goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah against a struggling City to move 11 points clear of the champions from the past four seasons and nine ahead of second-placed Arsenal.
City looked bereft of energy and ideas as they were comprehensively outplayed by Arne Slot's side, managing only two shots on target. It was their fourth successive Premier League defeat and sixth in seven in all competitions and they are now sitting fifth in the table.
Guardiola, the Spaniard who has ripped up the record books since arriving at City, is now reaching unwanted milestones.
He has never lost four league games in a row during a glittering coaching career and whereas he has always found solutions to every problem, his magic touch has temporarily deserted him.
There is zero chance City's owners would dispense with one of the greatest coaches in history, especially as he recently agreed a two-year extension to his contract.
But he does find himself in uncharted territory.
"I didn't expect them to chant that, maybe I deserve to be sacked," he told reporters. "I didn't expect that, but it's fine. When you win, you laugh. When you lose, they laugh, and you have to accept it.
"But I'm practical. I'm not depressed. When I think I cannot do it, we'll talk with the club, but I feel that I want to do it. Life is not always perfect. Now we are not as strong as we were, that is a reality."
While City are clearly missing influential midfielder Rodri, amongst others, no one could have predicted quite how one player's serious injury could have completely de-railed Guardiola's winning machine.
It took them 39 minutes to even have a goal attempt on Sunday with striker Erling Haaland a virtual spectator.
City also looked ponderous at the back and the way they conceded the penalty for Liverpool's second goal, scored by Salah, was comical.
With games coming thick and fast there is little time for City to feel sorry for themselves. They face high-flying Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, travel to Crystal Palace next weekend and then have a crucial Champions League clash with Juventus.
"I said before this game that we weren't in a position to think about targets but the season is long," Guardiola said.
"We have to think about making results and then some players will come back and then we'll be better and we'll believe maybe. There are many things to fight for and we're going to try.
"These players have given me the chance to live maybe the best years of my life. All I can do is be here to try and find a solution."
City defender Ruben Dias, culpable for Liverpool's second goal, said it was not the easiest period for the club but said the character of the squad would see them emerge from a rut.
"Now it's just about Nottingham Forest and to break it (the run). Football is the perfect example of life, sometimes life seems easy but it slaps you in the face and football is the perfect example of that."
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Toby Davis)
