"Pep Didn’t Get It Right" – Gary Neville Criticizes Guardiola’s Selection After Liverpool Defeat
Gary Neville questions Pep Guardiola’s tactical choices in Manchester City’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool, highlighting key selection mistakes.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes Pep Guardiola made two key mistakes in his team selection during Manchester City’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, December 1. The defeat marked Guardiola’s fourth consecutive loss in the Premier League this season, leaving City winless in their last seven games across all competitions, with six defeats and a draw.
Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah scored the decisive goals, sealing a comfortable victory for the Reds. Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Neville criticized Guardiola’s decision to start Rico Lewis and Matheus Nunes in the lineup.
“I thought Liverpool would win today. City have been awful. They looked beaten,” Neville said. “Pep is a genius, one of the greatest minds of all time, but I don’t think he got it right today. It’s just an observation.”
Neville pointed out that playing Lewis ahead of Kyle Walker in midfield didn’t work, a mistake Guardiola also made in the previous game against Tottenham. He was equally skeptical about Nunes’ role on the left side of a flat midfield four.
“How was Nunes going to work on this left-hand side? It didn’t work,” Neville added.
Both players were subbed off after failing to make an impact. Nunes managed only 32 touches before being replaced in the 57th minute, while Lewis had 36 touches during his 78 minutes on the pitch.
Neville concluded:
“There were things wrong for City from the very start. I was amazed by how they set up. But today, Liverpool become huge title favorites.”
Manchester City will look to bounce back when they face Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, December 4. Forest, interestingly, remains the only team to have beaten Liverpool this season, adding an extra layer of challenge for Guardiola’s side.
