Muller: Premier League is very difficult

Cape Town - Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller says Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's struggles this season come as no surprise, due to the competitive nature of the English Premier League.

The Spanish tactician has seen his side struggle for consistency, although they are now seven points behind table-topping Chelsea after Antonio Conte's men slipped to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.

Muller, who spent three years under the tutelage of Guardiola, suggests that the reason for the two-time Champions League winning mentor's struggles is the unpredictable and highly competitive nature of the league.

"The Premier League is very difficult with many strong teams," Muller told his club's television channel, FCB.tv.

"It's not easy to win against every team. You have a lot of games in England.

"It's the first year of Pep being at Manchester City, and there are many factors which make the task difficult for him.

"For me, it's not a big surprise that there aren't any clear start-to-finish winners of the title," he concluded.