Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola praised his rival to the skies after the high-class 2-2 (2-1) win in the top Premier League game against Liverpool. Meanwhile, he gave his players a victory order for the remaining games of the season.
“We now know that if we get a bad result in just one game, we can no longer become champions,” said the coach after the game sky and thus gave his players a winning order for the last seven games of the season in the Premier League. “Will it be easy? No way, seven Premier League games is a lot but it will be difficult for Liverpool too,” he said.
However, Guardiola also stressed that he was “very proud” of his players. “I told my players that today there is no reason to be sad. Everyone on the pitch played incredibly well,” said Guardiola, describing the game against Liverpool as “a promotion for the Premier League.
Despite an almost perfect performance in the first half, Manchester City did not manage to beat Liverpool in a top-class game and extend their lead in the table to four points. Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp compared the rapid exchange of blows between the two top teams with an “epic” heavyweight fight in boxing.
The coaches hugged each other immediately after the final whistle. Guardiola then praised the German so effusively that it was tantamount to a professional declaration of love. “I don’t know if Jurgen respects me, but Jurgen needs to know that I respect him a lot. He has made me a better coach,” said Guardiola, admitting that he was inspired by Jurgen Klopp’s ideas about power football. “His team is always there, they are always aggressive.”
Guardiola: “It’s a pleasure to watch Liverpool”
“It’s a pleasure to watch Liverpool,” Guardiola said, but clarified: “We’re not friends, we never see each other, I have his number but I don’t call him. I respect him but he knows that I’m going to try to beat him next Saturday, when the top two teams in England meet again in the FA Cup final next Saturday.
Sunday’s 2-2 was the 22nd meeting between Guardiola and Klopp as coaches, their record is even with both having won nine games.
Premier League: Table after the 31st matchday
| Place |
team |
games |
Gates |
Points |
| 1. |
Manchester City |
31 |
72:20 |
74 |
| 2. |
Liverpool |
31 |
79:22 |
73 |
| 3. |
Chelsea |
30 |
64:23 |
62 |
| 4. |
Tottenham Hotspur |
31 |
56:37 |
57 |
| 5. |
arsenal |
30 |
45:36 |
54 |
| 6. |
West Ham United |
32 |
51:42 |
51 |
| 7. |
Manchester United |
31 |
49:42 |
51 |
| 8th. |
Wolverhampton Wanderers |
32 |
33:28 |
49 |
| 9. |
Leicester City |
29 |
45:48 |
40 |
| 10 |
Crystal Palace |
31 |
43:40 |
37 |
| 11. |
Brighton & Hove Albion |
31 |
28:37 |
37 |
| 12. |
AstonVilla |
31 |
42:46 |
36 |
| 13. |
Brentford |
32 |
39:48 |
36 |
| 14 |
southampton |
31 |
37:52 |
36 |
| 15 |
Newcastle United |
31 |
34:54 |
34 |
| 16 |
LeedsUnited |
32 |
38:68 |
33 |
| 17 |
everton |
30 |
33:52 |
28 |
| 18 |
Burnley |
30 |
25:44 |
24 |
| 19 |
Watford |
31 |
29:60 |
22 |
| 20 |
Norwich City |
31 |
20:63 |
21 |
