Pep Guardiola fears his Manchester City side may have to forget about catching Liverpool while their striker crisis continues.
Raheem Sterling netted to sink Southampton. But with Sergio Aguero an unused sub and Gabriel Jesus not available due to a “condition with his teeth”, Guardiola fielded a side without a recognised striker.
Asked whether his men could land a blow on Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, he said: “Right now I don’t know.
“Our momentum up front is not good. We cannot expect in this situation to play much better than the team in third.
