Pep Lijnders issues warning to Manchester City players ahead of Tottenham and Liverpool showdowns | OneFootball

Manchester City assistant coach Pep Lijnders has warned the squad that they simply cannot afford to lose much more games in the ongoing Premier League season.

City are preparing for a demanding run that includes a trip to Tottenham followed by a high-profile showdown with Liverpool, sandwiched by a Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg against Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium.

Having already dropped points in key moments during the ongoing Premier League season, the margins at the top of the division are once again beginning to define the title conversation.

Manchester City head into the weekend with renewed confidence after securing their European fate in midweek through a controlled Champions League victory over Galatasaray, ensuring automatic progression into the knockout stages.

While the attacking structure looked sharper and Erling Haaland returned to scoring form, the game also brought fresh injury concerns as Jeremy Doku was forced off before the half-time interval.

Against that backdrop, Pep Guardiola’s absence from pre-match media duties placed additional emphasis on Pep Lijnders, whose own experience of elite title races offered a stark reminder of what lies ahead for City if standards slip.

Standing in for Guardiola during his press conference, with the Catalan engaged in personal commitments, Lijnders looked ahead to the clash in North London, previous title races whilst working for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, and the current state of play in the English top-flight.

“We are really looking forward to this game,” Lijnders said of the trip to the capital this weekend. “We have to be, for 95 minutes, really concentrated and think how we want to play, how we want to do it, show our mentality, our way. But we’re looking forward to going there.”

Reflecting on title battles with Manchester City whilst Jurgen Klopp’s assistant coach at Liverpool, Lijnders explained, “With Liverpool, we had 92 points, 97 points and we didn’t win it against City. So we have to make sure we go for the maximum points [this season against Arsenal]. We know that we cannot lost a lot of games more.”

“The Premier League is insane at the moment; the aggression of all the teams, the quality up-front of all the teams. We know each team can create upsets.”

Pep Lijnders’ comments underline the unforgiving nature of the current Premier League title race, where even brief lapses can carry lasting consequences.

Manchester City’s recent recovery in form, results, and performances, both in Europe and domestically, will be tested immediately by a Tottenham side capable of punishing any drop in intensity.