Image Credits: Imago Images
Liverpool head to the Etihad Stadium having won their last two matches against Aston Villa and Real Madrid.
Before that, the Reds had endured a difficult run, losing six of their previous seven games in all competitions.
Manchester City, meanwhile, have bounced back well from their defeat to Aston Villa, with both sides now aiming to close the gap on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.
This weekend marks a special milestone for Pep Guardiola, who will take charge of his 1000th game as a head coach.
During his near-decade-long rivalry with Liverpool, Guardiola has faced fierce competition from the Reds, with the two clubs sharing the last eight Premier League titles between them.
Particularly during Jurgen Klopp’s reign at Anfield, their teams produced some unforgettable battles.
Guardiola once described Klopp as his “greatest rival” when the German stepped down as Liverpool manager in 2024.
As he prepares for this remarkable milestone, Guardiola has paid tribute to the 58-year-old, admitting that Liverpool have pushed him more than any other club in his managerial career and revealed he still misses facing Klopp on the touchline.
“If I had to choose one rival to this milestone, I want to share it with many people. That would be the best. I have been longer than ever in this country,” said Guardiola in Friday’s press conference.
“Liverpool, especially under Jurgen, has been my biggest rival in this country.
“It could not be better, to be honest. The best in the universe decide this.
“It’s nice to live in and I know how quickly, things go here.
“One week ago, Liverpool had six defeats, disaster, and now they have won two, they are the best.
Guardiola added: “I am pretty sure that all the managers have a little bit more perspective in this situation and know they have ups and downs.
“I have a high opinion of Liverpool right now, last season and when they were losing six games in seven.
“It’s the same. “I think we push Liverpool to be better and Liverpool pushed us to be better. That’s for sure.
“Maybe we help to create this rivalry for the last decade. Before it was United vs Liverpool, I guess. Arsenal and Chelsea as well. Here our rivals were United.
“But what happened with Jurgen Klopp period and ours is the biggest because maybe apart from my first season we always split the leagues between us.
“Always I said I enjoyed this healthy rivalry we had in both clubs.
“In terms of Jurgen’s side and my side, I think we respected each other a lot. Jurgen gave me a lot and I miss him.
“He gave me a lot in a sense of how to beat him, how much I had to work and think and make me better.
“That belongs to Liverpool and ourselves.”
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