Pep Guardiola hits back at Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp amid fixture row
Pep Guardiola ramps up tensions with Jurgen Klopp ahead of showdown at Anfield by insisting Liverpool shouldn’t use ‘excuses’… after Reds boss claimed Man City benefitted from Covid break
- Liverpool host Manchester City in a clash of the titans league game on Sunday
- Pep Guardiola’s side are seven points clear of the Reds with a game in hand
- Jurgen Klopp complained at the postponement of City’s game with Everton
- Guardiola admits that Liverpool should not use ‘excuses’ during their title bid
Pep Guardiola has insisted Liverpool shouldn’t use excuses in their struggle to retain the Premier League title as tensions rise ahead of Sunday’s clash of the titans at Anfield.
The Manchester City boss has been angered by Jurgen Klopp’s claim that City have benefitted from a break when their fixture against Everton was postponed due to Covid.
And he can’t understand why Liverpool’s current injury crisis has been treated more sympathetically than when City were struck down earlier in the season.
Pep Guardiola (right) claims Jurgen Klopp’s (left) Liverpool should not use ‘excuses’ in title bid
Klopp angered Guardiola by complaining about City’s match with Everton being postponed
Liverpool had to sign two centre-halves on deadline day because Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are out for the season but Guardiola doesn’t remember much slack being given to City when they went to Chelsea at the start of the year with only 14 fit senior players.
‘I say to my players when you complain and look for excuses you cannot move forward,’ said Guardiola.
‘Excuses is the worst thing in the world and in sport.
‘Sometimes it is difficult for managers to finish games and five minutes later, give opinions about decisions into the microphone.
Liverpool have injury problems this season with Virgil van Dijk (right) and Joe Gomez (left) out
Guardiola responded to Klopp by saying City had only 14 players available against Chelsea
‘But when you are relaxed in a press conference before a game, to say something to propose [provoke], I never did it or did it maybe once or twice for an exceptional reason, but not to propose [provoke].
‘I am only concerned about the game, what we have to do to beat the opponents.’
City travel to Anfield seven points clear of Liverpool with a game in hand. They have won their last 13 matches in all competitions while Liverpool have lost their last two home games against Burnley and Brighton, having gone nearly four years before their previous defeat.
Klopp will be boosted by the return of Alisson in goal and forward Sadio Mane although he still has a long list of players unavailable including Diogo Jota and Naby Keita.
City visit Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday looking to extend their lead at the top of the table
Guardiola has been criticised for setting up defensively on previous trips to Anfield – once using Ilkay Gundogan as a winger in a Champions League tie – but he insists the intention at kick off is always to win.
‘Never ever in my career as a manager have I prepared to draw a game,’ he said.
‘Sometimes it is not possible, the opponent is better so in the last 10 or 15 minutes it is better not to lose. But in the beginning, no way. Try to win the game.
‘That is what we are going to do, always have done. Liverpool are the champions and I have no doubts we will see their best version, full of aggressivity and desire.
‘It will be harder than ever so we have to be prepared and show enough courage to win the game.’
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