Joe Cole delivers brutally blunt title warning to Pep Guardiola ahead of Liverpool clash

Joe Cole believes Manchester City's hopes of retaining the title will be over if they lose to Liverpool on Sunday.

Rarely can you imagine Pep Guardiola's star-studded side out of contention on the first day of December. But things have gotten so bad that ex-Liverpool and England midfielder Cole believes there is no way back if they fail to win for a seventh successive game.

Leader Liverpool is already eight points ahead and knows that the deficit would increase to eleven if they can inflict a fourth league defeat of the season on City.

Guardiola's side, who have won the Premier League for the past four seasons, are still in second place but could drop out of the top four altogether with another defeat.

And Cole told TNT Sports: “I think if they lose this weekend, the title is over for them. Eleven points? I think it will be too much.”

“Because they have lost games and the invincibility has disappeared, a few nerves have now crept in and you can play with your mind. I only saw that late in the Feyenoord match, the lack of composure.”

Shambolic City, who thought they were back on the winning track, let a 3-0 lead slip away in the final fifteen minutes of their Champions League clash with the champions. Fans, who had seen them slump to five consecutive defeats, were stunned when the match finished 3-3.

And Cole now believes Arsenal could be Liverpool's biggest challengers despite being a point behind City.

The Gunners have had their own problems this season but recorded a stunning 5-1 win over Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League in midweek to underline that their previous troubles may be behind them.

He said: “Arsenal are in a stronger position than Manchester City in my opinion. They've had their swings. [Martin] Odegaard's back fits. They are a younger team, a younger team. I think they will continue.”