Guardiola hails Liverpool for pushing Man City to new heights

Pep Guardiola hailed the efforts of Liverpool for pushing Manchester City to new heights in the battle for the Premier League title.

City are one point ahead of the Reds heading into their final match of the season against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium, with Jurgen Klopp’s side at home to Wolves on Sunday.

Victory over Steven Gerrard’s Villa would ensure a fourth Premier League title of the Guardiola era in just five years at City, with only Alex Ferguson winning more (13).

It would also make the Spaniard the outright leader for English top-flight titles among non-British managers, going one clear of Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho.

Guardiola believes his side would not have achieved what they have without the competition from Liverpool, who remain in the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple.

“We would not achieve what we have without them [Liverpool],” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “We have our opponent who brings you to the limits, otherwise complacency arrives.

“The players are not stupid, I do not need to tell them how good they are. They play against them and see them on TV and I said, ‘wow, if we want to be there, we have to do it’.

“I think it is quite similar like they should think about us.”

#ManCity pic.twitter.com/jq4dnwCxXT

— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 19, 2022

Guardiola heaped praise on his players as they stand on the brink of back-to-back titles.

“Incredible, top human quality players and persons,” he added. “Without that, no tactics, no ideas. Nothing, nothing, top-quality players.

“All the other managers have amazing ideas and tactics. The praise in the football world is so suspicious. Every time you give good praise to me, I do not believe you. Not for one second, I’m so suspicious.

“Behind that is the players, the quality, the talent, the effort. When we are good is when we try to altogether follow one idea, but my ideas are not more special than the other ones.

“I have found a lot of incredibly talented managers in the Championship, or the Premier League who do not have success. Do you know why? They do not have the good players that we have, it is as simple as that.”

Victory over Villa would secure City’s eighth top-flight title, the outright fifth-most in history since its inception in 1888, while it will be their sixth Premier League title (outright second-most after Manchester United’s 13).