Fresh off of a big Champions League win of 5-0 over Sporting Lisbon, Manchester City are sitting pretty not only in the UEFA Champions League but in the Premier League as well. City are top of the table with a 9 point lead over Liverpool, 3 full games.
While this may have Pep Guardiola breathing a bit easier it has not made the demanding manager complacent. Guardiola knows that any slip up from his Manchester City team and Liverpool will be ready to pounce.
Speaking to the media after his team’s win over Sporting Lisbon, Pep Guardiola was full of praise, so to speak, for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, who the Spaniard sees as his biggest rival over the last few years.
Pep Guardiola on Liverpool
When answering questions Guardiola stated that Liverpool have been the side that has challenged Manchester City at every turn, the main reason? Guardiola jokingly stated, “because they are a pain in the a$$”.
“They are a fantastic team in Europe. Just take a look at PSG today, they played really well against Madrid, look at Inter Milan or Liverpool or United. When you are the favorite, they don’t assure you in April or May. In a long competition like the Premier League, when you win it you are the best. In the Champions League our goal [focus] is the next minutes, the next game because it changes everything. In the Premier League no [it doesn’t] but in this competition it is like this”, Guardiola finished.