Guardiola explains Liverpool improvement and pays Reds ultimate compliment Man City boss Pep Guardiola says he has enjoyed the title battle with Liverpool this season and believes the Merseysiders are one of the “strongest teams” he has faced. Guardiola’s men can go back on top of the Premier League tonight with a win over Cardiff and this season’s title race has been in stark contrast to last season’s waltz. City obliterated the opposition last season, sending records tumbling and clinching the title with five games to spare, but this time around they currently trail Liverpool by a point in a race which has changed hands more than 20 times. Asked by Sky Sports whether he welcomed the fierce competition, Guardiola said: “Without doubt. There are a lot of good teams. “Winning and then winning again is always difficult. But if this year I think we are better than last year, it’s because the other teams have required us to make that jump.” Asked about Liverpool specifically, he said: “They are one of the strongest teams I have faced. “They have everything. They have good tactics, they have great defensive strength, they have very good high pressing and they have a very good counter-attack. They had some problems with their positional play before, but that has improved a lot too. Liverpool have everything. That’s why it’s so close.” Guardiola though says the focus remains on his own side. “You are lucky if you reach the final month or month-and-a-half of the season in a position to fight for trophies. We know we are privileged to be where we are. It’s an incredible experience for us,” added Guardiola. “I don’t know how many teams in Premier League history have been in this position, in four competitions in April, but there can’t be many. We just have to try to win the next game and see how far we can go.” “The goal is to improve and to improve,” says Guardiola. “To find and to figure out the things that we can do better, and to replace the players we believe have reached the end of a cycle with good ones. And that’s it. That’s how we have to do it and that is what we are aiming for.” Get the latest personalised City products on our new TEAMtalk Manchester City shop! The post Guardiola explains Liverpool improvement and pays Reds ultimate compliment appeared first on teamtalk.com.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola says he has enjoyed the title battle with Liverpool this season and believes the Merseysiders are one of the “strongest teams” he has faced.

Guardiola’s men can go back on top of the Premier League tonight with a win over Cardiff and this season’s title race has been in stark contrast to last season’s waltz.

City obliterated the opposition last season, sending records tumbling and clinching the title with five games to spare, but this time around they currently trail Liverpool by a point in a race which has changed hands more than 20 times.

Asked by Sky Sports whether he welcomed the fierce competition, Guardiola said: “Without doubt. There are a lot of good teams.

“Winning and then winning again is always difficult. But if this year I think we are better than last year, it’s because the other teams have required us to make that jump.”

Asked about Liverpool specifically, he said: “They are one of the strongest teams I have faced.

“They have everything. They have good tactics, they have great defensive strength, they have very good high pressing and they have a very good counter-attack. They had some problems with their positional play before, but that has improved a lot too. Liverpool have everything. That’s why it’s so close.”

Guardiola though says the focus remains on his own side.

“You are lucky if you reach the final month or month-and-a-half of the season in a position to fight for trophies. We know we are privileged to be where we are. It’s an incredible experience for us,” added Guardiola.

“I don’t know how many teams in Premier League history have been in this position, in four competitions in April, but there can’t be many. We just have to try to win the next game and see how far we can go.”

“The goal is to improve and to improve,” says Guardiola. “To find and to figure out the things that we can do better, and to replace the players we believe have reached the end of a cycle with good ones. And that’s it. That’s how we have to do it and that is what we are aiming for.”

Get the latest personalised City products on our new TEAMtalk Manchester City shop!

The post Guardiola explains Liverpool improvement and pays Reds ultimate compliment appeared first on teamtalk.com.

Matthew Briggs