Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola called out a Manchester United and a Liverpool legend during a fiery pre-match rant on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of his side's midweek fixture against Aston Villa, the Spanish tactician hit back at criticism levelled at him by former Premier League stars Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards, who recently suggested that the Citizens may have become complacent.
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The assessment by the Sky Sports pundits came after City recorded their worst league run since 2017, having drawn each of their past three games while conceding eight goals in the process.
As a result, the Citizens have slipped to third place on the Premier League table after recording just two wins in their past five fixtures, with the draws coming against Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
However, with a fixture against Villa on the horizon, the Spaniard made it clear he feels his side can still go on to win the EPL title a fourth consecutive time, praising his players' attitudes and insisting they have not become complacent, name-checking Neville, Carragher and Richards in the process.
"I have a feeling that if we maintain that level, we'll win the Premier League. We will win it again," Guardiola said, per The Independent.
"If we (could) maintain the level of Liverpool and Tottenham, I'll sign for it right now. We didn't win 5-0 – we drew – but I'd sign right now (for) my team (to) behave the way we've played the last two games.
"I don't know if we can sustain that all season and that is the challenge.
"I don't have anything to say about the pundits. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think it's about complacency. I know the players, I know how they run. How we behave is extraordinary.
"He knows how difficult it is otherwise Gary Neville would've won four Premier Leagues in the best period of Manchester United. But he didn't do it.
"I see my team, how they fight, how they press, how they continue until the end and how upset they are after we concede.
"Maybe, maybe I'm wrong and they are seeing everything that I'm not able to see, but I don't have that feeling.
"Jamie Carragher didn't win one (league title). Micah Richards didn't win four Premier Leagues in a row. Never, ever."
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