Liverpool prepare to face Man City in the Premier League at Anfield on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola admitted that Liverpool has been the toughest away fixture of his Manchester City managerial reign.
The Reds welcome their modern-day rivals to Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday. The two sides have monopolised the title in the past eight years. City have won six top-flight crowns and Liverpool the other two, most recently last season. In addition, the Reds finished runners-up to City on two occasions.
Guardiola has taken his team across the M62 on 10 occasions in all competitions - and won just once. That triumph was a 4-1 win in February 2021. When Liverpool hosted City last season, they earned a comprehensive 2-0 victory.
The two sides are set for their latest battle, although the title looks set to change hands this season with Arsenal leading the way. Liverpool’s title defence has been meek and they sixth in the table, having dropped points in five of their 12 games at Anfield. City are second but six points behind Arsenal.
Still, despite Arne Slot’s side’s stuttering form, Guardiola believes that City will be in for another stern test on Liverpool’s match. The Etihad Stadium manager said: “Always a tough opponent and a difficult place and stadium, especially with the quality of the players and the managers. Yes, it's been tough.
“I have tried to see how they have played lately. What we have to do, if we have to adjust something. But it is Anfield. The biggest stages and the biggest games always need big personalities. I have said many times, it's not about the skills of the players in the top leagues.
“In the top clubs, the skills are there. I never know one player that is not good enough to play in the top clubs, it is how you behave. How you play in the latter stages of the biggest competitions is how define you as a player. The mind of the players you have defines the big teams.”
Man City injury news
City could be without captain Bernardo Silva against Liverpool. He was absent for the 3-1 win over Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg earlier this week. After the game, Guardiola was unsure whether Silva, who he called an ‘incredible talent’ could feature.
In an update on Silva, Guardiola said: “We don’t know [about Bernardo] yet, tomorrow training.”
John Stones has returned to training but it might well be too early for the centre-back to be involved in City’s squad. In the 3-0 win over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium earlier this campaign, Jeremy Doku ran riot but he has missed the past two games so could be absent.
Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic and Savinho remain on the sidelines.
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