Man City boss Pep Guardiola takes Jurgen Klopp dig and calls out Liverpool rival’s mistake

Man City: Guardiola hits back at Klopp’s COVID claims

Pep Guardiola has told Liverpool rival Jurgen Klopp to get his facts straight after he suggested Manchester City are reaping the benefit of a two-week Covid break after Christmas. 

City’s fixture with Everton at Goodison Park on December 28 was called off four hours before kick off following a Coronavirus outbreak at the club

But with City playing on Boxing Day and January 3 meaning a gap of just seven clear days Guardiola urged Klopp to check his calendar again.

“He made a mistake, it was two months off, or three months off? No, four. Four months off,” said Guardiola sarcastically. “That’s why we are in top form right now.

“Jurgen has to see the calendar again. We had Covid, we have one week and we played with 14 players at Stamford Bridge (on January 3).

We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

“But maybe I’m wrong and it was not two weeks, it was three or four weeks. Tomorrow when I see Jurgen I’ll ask how many weeks or days were we off?”

Klopp complained that Liverpool had not enjoyed a similar break since Christmas Day – a period during which they have won just two games in eight while City have gone unbeaten.

MUST READS…
Messi could hold key as ‘contact made’ with Aguero over transfer
Liverpool ‘out of title race’ after Brighton loss as Reds stars tired
Pep Guardiola sends fresh Man City warning to Liverpool and Man Utd

“We haven’t had a break – City had two weeks for Covid reasons,” he said. “It’s a tough year. Some teams it looks less, but for us, it’s tough.”

City had 11 days fewer days off than Liverpool during the break between seasons taking into accounts their Champions League commitments in Portugal.

Liverpool: Klopp makes COVID jibe about Man City

And while Guardiola was clearly irked by Klopp’s comments he dismissed them as an attempt at mind games stressing his mistake would be amicably resolved at Anfield when their two sides meet tomorrow.

“He knows it’s not true, come on! Nobody in the Premier League has had two weeks off! Everyone knows it,” he said. 

“Some of them with that kind of situation does it for a purpose but I didn’t expect he would do it. I thought he’s not that type of guy, but if he did it OK.”

Liverpool’s boss has greater worries than Guardiola’s correction to deal with at the moment having seen his title defence fall off a cliff since Christmas Day.

Liverpool have three-player problem if Sadio Mane misses Man City

A draw against West Brom on December 27 presaged a miserable run of form which has seen them slip seven points behind Guardiola’s trailblazers – an 11 points swing since the Everton postponement.

Victory for City at Anfield on Sunday would see them pull 10 points clear with a game in hand.

They are winless at Liverpool’s home ground since 2003 but have only lost one of the six meetings home and away against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Source: Read Full Article