Pep Guardiola takes swipe at Everton after Man City drop points to extend Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester Metropolis have received 4 of the final 5 top-flight titles (Image: Getty)

Pep Guardiola has taken a swipe at Everton after they denied Manchester Metropolis victory to increase Arsenal’s lead on the prime of the Premier League desk.

The champions, who've received 4 of the final 5 top-flight titles, had been held to a 1-1 draw by the Toffees on the Etihad in a shock New Yr’s Eve consequence.

Everton, managed by Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, have struggled within the Premier League this season and discover themselves in a relegation combat.

However they produced an excellent efficiency in Manchester to disclaim Metropolis an important win – and following Arsenal’s 4-2 victory at Brighton – it prolonged the Gunners’ lead over Guardiola’s second-placed facet to seven factors heading into 2023.

Guardiola defended his group after the sport however was not proud of Everton’s ways and accused them of taking part in with eight defenders.

‘Dropping factors at house is all the time robust,’ Guardiola instructed the BBC. ‘However I’m all the time attempting to make our sport good and now we have continued to do it.

‘I'd say they'd eight within the again. In that state of affairs it’s motion and attacking on the proper second.

‘On the whole we did it. We didn’t enable them transitions. They made a improbable aim and when that occurs you say congratulations however usually we did rather well.’

The title race is much from over, although, and Metropolis might be hoping Arsenal drop factors in January with the Gunners set for enormous fixtures towards top-four rivals Newcastle, Tottenham and Manchester United.

Arsenal and Metropolis are additionally nonetheless attributable to face one another twice within the top-flight too and John Barnes believes Mikel Arteta’s facet will bottle it.

‘Yeah I'd nonetheless say [Manchester City] are favourites [for the title], due to their expertise,’ Barnes instructed BonusCodeBets.

‘Arsenal are nonetheless a younger facet and doing very properly, a bit like Newcastle. I could also be mistaken however with their youth I don’t anticipate them to nonetheless not lose matches.

‘Whereas you may’t see Man Metropolis dropping many matches.’