Jurgen Klopp says his Liverpool side will do their utmost to derail Manchester City in their title pursuit after Pep Guardiola labelled the Reds "a pain in the a***".
Guardiola's side suffered a rare defeat at the hands of Tottenham on Saturday, meaning their lead at the top of the Premier League was reduced to six points after Klopp's charges comfortably beat Norwich - though City have played one game more.
When asked before that loss about the teams he felt could disrupt Man City's attempts to win the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, Guardiola responded: “Liverpool. They are six points behind us. They’ve been our biggest rivals in the past few seasons and are always there – a pain in the a***, all the time! They are a fantastic team in Europe.”
Speaking ahead of Liverpool's Premier League clash against Leeds on Wednesday night - where they will have the opportunity to cut City's lead to just three points - Klopp called that "a good description."
"We have to win all our games. We expect City to win theirs," he said. "It happens more often than not, that they pretty much win all their games.
"For us it’s important that we are close to the top - whoever is at the top - because that obviously shows something is going in the right direction.
"It’s been going on a while that both teams are able to do some special stuff. We are pushing each other and not only us - don’t forget the other teams: Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Tottenham. There is no chance to get soft because another team will catch you.
The German continued: "Pep said we are the pain in the lower back [‘pain in the a***’].
"That’s a good description. And that’s how it should be. We try to be as annoying as possible until we have a chance to overtake.
"In the decisive moments of the season you have to be close enough. We have to be at our absolute best."
Source : 90min