Liverpool news: Why Man City boss Pep Guardiola was disrespectful to Reds - Paul Merson
MANCHESTER CITY boss Pep Guardiola was DISRESPECTFUL to Liverpool with his team selection against Everton last month.
That is the opinion of Sky Sports pundit and former Arsenal striker Paul Merson.
Manchester City crashed out of the Champions League quarter-finals at the hands of Liverpool this week, losing 5-1 on aggregate.
City comprehensively lost the first leg 3-0 at Anfield before the 2-1 reverse at the Etihad six days later.
Pep Guardiola’s side are running away with the Premier League title and Merson says the Spaniard should have rested more of his star players for the trip to Everton four days before the first leg.
SKY SPORTS/GETTY
I just thought he was a bit disrespectful of Liverpool then
Manchester City won 3-1 at Goodison Park but Merson says that game should have been put on the back burner.
“I thought the biggest mistake out of all the mistakes he made was the Everton game,” he said on Sky Sports.
“I thought he went too strong against Everton before the Liverpool game.
SKY SPORTS
“I think that was when he should have rested players and gone ‘right, we’ve got a big game, we’ll win the league, whether it’s the middle of April or the end of April, we’re winning the league’.
“I just thought he was a bit disrespectful of Liverpool then.
“But when they’ve been up against it, and there’s only been a few times, twice against Liverpool and against Man United when Man United got on top, I didn’t see anything (from them).”