Guardiola gives his verdict on Liverpool's title hopes

The reigning Premier League champions have slipped 13 points behind Manchester City following Saturday’s defeat.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has refused to rule Liverpool out of the Premier League title battle.

A 3-1 defeat to Leicester on Saturday has left Liverpool trailing table-toppers City, who defeated Tottenham 3-0 on the same day, by 13 points. And having played a game more than Guardiola’s men, things don’t look promising.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has already conceded the club’s title defense is effectively over.

But Guardiola, whose City side were down in the lower half of the standings at the beginning of December, isn’t ruling anything out.

“From what I saw from the way they played against Leicester, we would have to lose games, but of course they can do it,” said Guardiola as quoted on Goal.

“It is the same Liverpool that I met in the last years. In the boxes they are not as clinical as before but the quality of their play is still there.”

Rodri and an Ilkay Gundogan brace sealed City all three points in their victory over Spurs. The Citizens, who have a seven-point lead over second-placed Leicester, next take a trip to Everton on Wednesday.