Pep Guardiola leaves and Premier League winners: Pundits predict ...

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Manchester City find themselves in an unprecedented poor run of form under manager Pep Guardiola.

Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League made it just one win in their last 12 matches for City. The result left them languishing in seventh in the table and while they are four points off the top four, they are also 12 behind leaders Liverpool who hold a game in hand over them.

It seems the hopes of winning the title are starting to slip away from the Blues. However, it still remains to be seen what is in store for City between now and the end of the campaign.

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MEN Sport has taken a look what some of the country's leading pundits have had to say on City between the campaign beginning and present day.

Before Guardiola signed his contract extension, Roy Keane predicted on The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet, that this would be the Catalan head coach's last season at City. "This is Pep’s last season. Pep will leave City. I’m putting it out there," the former Manchester United captain explained in August.

As recently as November, Alan Shearer was still predicting City to win the Premier League. "I would still say the favourites are Man City, but it's close," he told The Rest is Football podcast.

"Liverpool have been much better than I thought they would be. I didn't think they'd be challenging but they are, there's no doubt about that.

"I don't think they're going to go away. I've been disappointed with Arsenal and I tipped them before the season started.

"You'd still say Man City are just favourites because they've been around the block." Gary Lineker agreed with his Match of the Day colleague, adding: "I think I agree.

"City have been there, done it four times on the bounce now. You wonder if that will catch up with them at some point because it's so difficult to keep having that absolute drive that gets them over the line.

"I would say they're still favourites. I backed them at the start of the season and I wouldn't change my mind now."

Match of the Day host Gary Lineker had his say on Man City -Credit:Tom Dulat/Getty Images for Premier League

At the end of November, Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher had changed his mind on City winning the Premier League but also predicted further misfortune for the Blues. "I actually think Arsenal might finish above Manchester City because of the problems they have got in midfield," he told Sky Sports.

"I’m going to go Liverpool to win the league now. I think it will be the bookies’ favorite and they have got a sizable lead.

"I still think it’s obviously going to be a tight run-in, whether that’s Manchester City trying to get at them or Arsenal coming back at them as well. I went for Arsenal second, Liverpool third and Tottenham Hotspur fourth.

"Liverpool and Arsenal will be in there. I just hope one of them is at the top end of the table."

Over the weekend, Gary Neville assessed the landscape in the Premier League and hinted at a way City could get back into the title race. "Liverpool are clearly the best team in the Premier League at this moment in time," he explained on his namesake podcast.

"They’re the clear favourites for the title. Man City’s drop-off has been spectacular, I’m not sure anyone really knows how it’s gone so badly wrong.

"Chelsea had a tough game today but they’re doing well and having a good season. I think the one team Liverpool need to watch are Arsenal if they can get their tail up and close that gap going in March and April.

"But at this moment in time Liverpool are clear favourites. I think the biggest risk for them is injuries – if they were to lose [Virgil] Van Dijk and [Mohamed] Salah that would hurt them.

"Van Dijk is like Rodri for Liverpool, he holds it all together. Keeping him fit is absolutely crucial.

"There’s some big challenges coming up so we’re nowhere near the point that you can hand Liverpool the title but they’re in a great position and at this moment in time they’re by far the best team in the league and the table tells us that."