Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have significantly improved in comparison to last season.
Pep Guardiola has admitted to Goal.com that Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool have been ‘very good’ this season.
Tottenham and Liverpool scored nine goals between them on a knockout Boxing Day for both Premier League sides.
Spurs thumped Bournemouth 5-0 at Wembley, while Jurgen Klopp’s side put four past Newcastle without response.
In doing so, Mauricio Pochettino’s side climbed above Manchester City, the reigning champions, in the table to stay six points adrift of Liverpool at the summit.
Guardiola’s side cruised to the title last season, finishing 23 points clear of Tottenham and 25 ahead of the Reds.
And the famed Spanish manager concedes that both sides have significantly bridged the gap to the Citizens’ quality this season.
“Liverpool and Tottenham deserve it, they win games and we don’t, the gap is increased,” he told Goal.com.
“Last season we had a big gap, this season Liverpool and Tottenham are very good. We have finished the first half of the season, we have enough points to be champions but the other teams make more, they are better than us at the moment.
“Football is fascinating, unpredictable. People say what we did last season was easy, it was very difficult.”
Liverpool and Tottenham certainly have bridged the gap, but this is particularly impressive in the latter’s case.
Pochettino didn’t sign a single player during the summer transfer window, meaning that he effectively has the same squad as last season, and yet they have improved a great deal.
But are they the real deal in respects to challenging for the title? Time will tell.
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