Pep Guardiola: Liverpool, Tottenham 'Deserve' to Be Ahead of Manchester City

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur "deserve" to be ahead of them in the Premier League after losing 2-1 at Leicester City on Wednesday. 

City lost their second match in a row and third in four matches on Boxing Day as the Foxes came from behind, consigning the Sky Blues to third in the Premier League at the halfway point of the season, behind the Reds and the Lilywhites.

Per City's official website, Guardiola said:

"They deserve it. They win games when we don't win games. Last season we were so consistent and made a lot of points. They are both so consistent.

"Football is fascinating and unpredictable. You have to be humble, knowing every game is difficult. Last season, everyone said it was so easy, but I know how difficult it was."

Bernardo Silva gave City the lead at the King Power Stadium after 14 minutes, but Marc Albrighton's header levelled the score five minutes later.

Ricardo Pereira lashed home from 18 yards late on before Fabian Delph was sent off in the final minute of normal time.

Guardiola saw similarities between the game and recent defeats at the hands of Chelsea and Crystal Palace, per Goal's Sam Lee:

The result leaves City seven points behind Liverpool and one behind Spurs, who earned 4-0 and 5-0 wins over Newcastle United and Bournemouth, respectively.

At this stage last season, City had won 18 of 19 matches and drawn the other. In the same number of games this time around, they've lost three times and drawn twice.

"Mentally, we lack a little confidence," Guardiola added.

Hard work is the only way for City to get back to their best, according to the manager:

"In football, you have to accept it and work hard. It's the only way I know. We have to work harder and try to change results.

"After that, the confidence will be back and make a good recovery. In the end, the result is what counts—and we lost."

Getting back on track and overhauling their rivals will be an enormous test of Guardiola and his team, who have struggled to reach the same exceptional level they did last season.

The Sky Blues will hope Arsenal can take points off Liverpool on Saturday, before they get the chance themselves on January 3.

They'll need to perform much better than they have in recent matches if they're to beat the Reds, though, so Guardiola will need to engineer a quick turnaround in their form to keep them in touching distance.