Pep Guardiola says Jurgen Klopp is not being truthful when he says Liverpool are not in a position to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title.
After Liverpool beat Leicester on Thursday Klopp played down his side’s chance of catching City. He said he was “not sure” if his side would be able to apply pressure to City.
But speaking before City play on Saturday, Guardiola said that it was possible for Liverpool to not only catch up to but overtake the reigning Premier League champions.
“Just I don’t believe him,” said Guardiola.
“Absolutely (it’s possible) and he thinks the same, otherwise he wouldn’t be the competitor that he is. Of course he believes.
“In football, everything can happen. He knows that he has to win a lot of games like we know we have to win a lot of games to fight to be champions again.”
City are currently unbeaten in 14 league matches, and Guardiola feels City will have to maintain their excellent form in the final third of the season if they’re to finish first.
“Both teams have shown over the years that they can make an incredible run of victories in a row. Both have the same managers, more or less the same squads and ideas. Both could make 16, 17 wins in a row. They can do it – we can do it, too,” said the former Barcelona manager.
“The opponents are [always] so tough. We have to win the next game, next game. That is why the Premier League is the nicest title, because you have to fight against an incredible amount of problems. It’s who is more consistent and these two teams are incredibly consistent.
“The run we’ve done over the last 14 games [winning 13, drawing one] and we are just potentially six points ahead – it’s because the opponent is so good too. In normal circumstances an opponent would be 10 or 12 points [behind] with the amount of games we’ve won.”
Guardiola feels that his team’s greatest opponents are themselves. “We have to perform for ourselves as high as possible,” he said. “If the opponent is better we accept it. We face an opponent but this is not important – what’s important is ourselves.”
Man City take on league strugglers Norwich City on Saturday, 24 hours before Klopp’s men are in action against another relegation threatened side in Burnley.
