Manchester City will not be affected by Klopp´s mind games – Guardiola

Pep Guardiola does not believe Manchester City will be affected by any mind games from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League on Friday, courtesy of a rampant 5-0 win over Huddersfield Town.

City’s fate is still firmly in their own hands, though, and if they do not drop points in their three remaining fixtures, Guardiola’s side will retain their crown regardless of Liverpool’s results.

Klopp suggested that he never expected City to slip up in Wednesday’s Manchester derby, which the reigning champions won 2-0, and Guardiola did not refute the suggestion that Liverpool’s manager may be looking to play mind games.

“I don’t know, maybe he was more confident in our victory than myself,” Guardiola told a news conference ahead of Sunday’s clash with Burnley at Turf Moor.

“I wasn’t sure we were able to win there. Maybe we give that confidence off to our rivals. It’s in our hands so we don’t have to think about that too much. We have to win our games to be champion.

“At the end, my feeling is the same. They are going to win their three games and we have to win all three games to be champion.

“We have won 11 [league] games in a row and we have had that feeling for a long time but every game it is a little more difficult with the pressure because you know it is closer.

“We don’t have to look at what they do. It’s in our hands and that is the little advantage that we have right now. If we win on Sunday, next Monday, and the last game in Brighton we will be champions. He [Klopp] can do mind games but all we have to do is focus on what we have to do and win our games.”

City are aiming to become the first side to retain the Premier League title since Manchester United in 2009, but Guardiola believes his side have already improved from last season whether they lift the trophy or not.

Emmanuel Adebayor setting us up for a big six against the Clarets

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— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 27, 2019

“I think the next level has already been reached. We got it,” Guardiola said.

“Of course back-to-back titles would be better but the consistency we have shown and the spirit, they got it.

“The next generation of players know the standard they have to meet because of what these guys have done. It’s better to win titles because it shows the numbers, but what they have done – 100 points and 89 [with three games to play] – is massive.

“They did it, that is my feeling, but not only that they have done back-to-back EFL Cups. Even if people don’t care about the EFL Cup, respect the competition. We are now in the final of the FA Cup. Being there? We get it, that is my feeling.

“That is the most important thing to achieve in this club and I think we raised the level higher and that’s good.”