Pep Guardiola reacts to his Manchester City side's 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Premier League at Anfield
Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola reacts before the start of the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on February 8, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /
Pep Guardiola enjoyed his first win at Anfied in front of fans as Manchester City left it late to beat Liverpool in dramatic fashion(Image: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
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Pep Guardiola reflected on a first win in front of fans at Anfield as Manchester City - revealing his pride at the 2-1 victory over Premier League champions Liverpool.
The Reds suffered their eighth defeat of the league campaign after late goals from Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland, the latter from the penalty spot, condemned them to another huge setback in their aim to secure Champions League qualification.
Guardiola, who has been at City since 2016, has only previously won once at the home of Liverpool, which came at an empty Anfield, behind closed doors, five years ago during Covid.
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"That [2021 win] doesn't count, right?" joked Guardiola, whose second-placed side closed the gap on leaders and Carabao Cup final opponents Arsenal to six points.
"It is much better obviously. Hopefully we can never come here again without people. It is so difficult, Anfield is Anfield, the tradition, the history and the crowd.
"It always looks smaller, tighter here and the pitch doesn't look like Etihad Stadium. And the players that they have and everything. Of course we would be disappointed and all the questions would be over and over [about the title race] but six points is better than nine.
"It is still a lot considering how strong Arsenal are in all departments. It is better to have. I said the same, 13 games is a lot in the Premier League.
"The final of the Carabao Cup is coming, the Champions League is here... so many games. Injuries and many things and every team play for something - Champions League qualification, Europa League, Conference League or not being relegated.
"Every game, the last 10 games from my experience, not drama but it is so difficult. The important thing is to try to be there, improve because the second half was not good enough again, and the game we did against Spurs was not good enough to win three points.
"Today it could happen the same. But it is a young team and maybe in the recent future we can improve on that."
Guardiola added: “The first half was exceptional but many times we are not composed enough in the final third, a little bit more calm to take the right decisions.
"In the boxes you have to take a coffee, as a defender and as a striker, and we are so all the actions, always arrive one metre before or one metre later, never in the spot.
"But we are so young in many, many things and second half, we knew that they would push a little bit more, in the first half we played some long balls and we fought and Omar (Marmoush) and Erling they were there because I know it’s an incredibly difficult task (against, Ibrahima) Konate and (Virgil) Van Dijk, to win those balls, but the second half not even try.
"That ball goes quick, it comes back quicker. And after that we allowed the crowd to be involved. After, hats off to (Dominik) Szoboszlai, it was a copy-paste of the Arsenal one, but at the end being guided by our incredible player, one of the best players I ever trained, our captain Bernardo (Silva), we follow him, I follow him too.
"Because when a player always puts the team in front of him and does things through his own example, everybody follows him.
"Me the first, and he scored the first one and made the assist for the penalty to Matheus (Nunes), and yeah we won finally I would say at Anfield, always it’s so difficult and I’m happy for the result for the guys, because we were there.
"From the beginning I said: 'Okay, I know Liverpool always start strong, we have to start stronger'. The first who punches will have more chances to win the game."