The two clubs have fought it out at the top of the Premier League over the past four seasons and are once again competing for the title, with one point separating us ahead of Sunday’s game at the Etihad Stadium.
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City have been crowned champions on three occasions since 2017/18, with our dominance in the division only broken by Liverpool’s triumph two seasons ago and Guardiola says Jurgen Klopp’s men have pushed his players to raise their game.
“Absolutely,” he said when asked if the challenge of Liverpool had made his side better.
“When you achieve 100 points and after 98 points, you need someone to push you from behind to make you realise they are there and they are close.
“You have to make another step, that’s for sure. I don’t know what Liverpool is going to do but knowing the club and our chairman and CEO we want to grow and I am pretty sure we want to be there more years.
“I am pretty sure Liverpool and other teams are going to try and do it [as well].
“[For] both teams the most credit I give is the consistency through the years for many years. It is not winning one Premier League.
“It has been five years every three days. That is what I am proud of most.”
With Liverpool proving to be such a stern opponent, Guardiola believes Klopp is as big a rival as he has had during his managerial career.
The Catalan experienced fierce competition with Jose Mourinho during his time at Barcelona, when the Portuguese was at the helm of Real Madrid, but feels City’s battles with Liverpool have surpassed that.
The two teams are set to meet again in the FA Cup six days after Sunday’s Premier League clash and Guardiola admits the regularity with which we have faced the Reds has enhanced the competitive edge.
“I will always remember the time here when I am retired and I will remember the biggest opponent was Liverpool,” he added.
“We played many times. Jose is an exceptional manager, and of course I was his rival in Barcelona, but here it is more years.
“I have been here five years and played many times. All the time we were close.
“I faced Jurgen one year in Bayern Munich. Every season, except the year we made 100 points and they did 99 two seasons later, the rest it was tight.
“Always we control each other because they are good and hopefully they think we are good too.”
