**Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola fondly remembered his rivalry with Jurgen Klopp during the latter’s time at Liverpool as he prepares to take charge of the 1,000th managerial game on Sunday.**
City face Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium in a six-pointer as they look to keep up the pressure on league leaders and title favourites Arsenal, who can extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points with victory over Sunderland on Saturday.
Guardiola and co started the season in slugging form but have gotten their act together and put 10 wins on the board in 13 games in all competitions since September, clawing their way back into the conversation for a fifth Premier League title in six seasons.
The Blues finished trophyless last term and fell well below their own standards but after significant investment into refurbishing the dressing room, Guardiola has been handed new ammunition to work with as Manchester City look to mount a genuine challenge on all fronts.
Since Guardiola’s second season at the Etihad Stadium, City have regularly competed in all competitions and have established their status as one of the most dominant sides in the Premier League history – having famously won the only domestic treble to date in 2019 and a historic treble in 2023.
Guardiola credits former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and his unrelenting group of players – who fought City every step of the way in their early years of success under Guardiola – for unlocking the best of the various title-winning sides he has managed.
Speaking in a press conference on Friday, Guardiola fondly remembered Klopp and his mentality monsters for bringing the best out of Manchester City over the years as he prepares for his 1,000th managerial game on Sunday.
“Listen, if I have to choose one rival to (share) this milestone (of 1,000 matches in management) – personally, because I would want to share it with many, many people obviously – this would be the best (Liverpool),” the Catalan said.
“Especially with Jurgen, have been the biggest rival in this country. It could not be better, to be honest. The destiny of the universe has decided for this! I think we pushed Liverpool to be better, and Liverpool pushed us to be better. That’s for sure.
“Always I had the feeling how much we respect each other. I don’t know about the clubs, but in terms of Jurgen’s side or Pep’s side, we respected a lot each other.
“And I have the feeling that Jurgen gave me a lot, and I miss him, in the sense of, ‘Wow to beat that guy how much I have to think, and work, and do it, and make it better’. And that belongs to Liverpool and ourselves.”
City cannot afford to lose on Sunday in arguably their biggest game of the 2025-26 season so far, with Arsenal expected to see off Sunderland on Saturday to establish greater room at the top of the league table.