Winning title is more difficult now for Man City, says Guardiola

Newcastle United sprung a surprise to put a huge dent in Manchester City's Premier League title bid, leaving Pep Guardiola frustrated.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola failed to win in his 100th game in charge at the club and risked opening up a seven-point gap at the top.

Defending champions Manchester City risked falling seven points behind Liverpool as it lost 2-1 against Newcastle United on Tuesday and Pep Guardiola conceded City failed to find its rhythm.

Things had started brightly for City at St James' Park, Sergio Aguero putting the visitors ahead after 24 seconds. However, Newcastle produced a remarkable second-half turnaround courtesy of Salomon Rondon's strike and a Matt Ritchie penalty to leave Guardiola frustrated.

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"It wasn't our best," he told BT Sport . "We started with a goal but all the game we didn't have the rhythm that we need to impose our game. That's why when we play in that situation, the second balls, the long balls, we didn't take it.  Our game was slow, we didn't commit, we didn't find the players. It happens. They shoot the first time and it was a goal, the second time was a penalty. We had the chances.

"Congratulations to Newcastle for the victory."

City and Aguero were denied a second goal after Kevin De Bruyne proved overeager to take a quick free-kick and received a yellow card. But Guardiola did not hide behind that setback as an excuse and he acknowledged City's title bid had become significantly harder.

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"Things like that [the disallowed goal] can change the game, of course, but in general our game was not in the rhythm we need to play in a Premier League game.

"It's more difficult [to win the league], but we have a chance to do it. We knew we had to win a lot of games. In football many things can happen but the most important thing is not about the table.

"I said many times to do our games, to do what we have to do and when it does not happen you can lose because football today is so competitive. In many, many details, it was not our best day."

Liverpool will earn a comfortable seven-point cushion if it beats Leicester City on Wednesday.