Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has heaped praise on Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp for helping him become a better manager.
There was nothing to separate the two teams when they faced off on Sunday, with the 2-2 draw leaving Guardiola's side one point ahead in the Premier League title race with seven games to go.
The build-up to the game was dominated by Guardiola and Klopp throwing praise at one-another, and with the match now over, the City boss has admitted that he relishes constantly having to improve to keep up with Klopp.
|
|
"I don't know if Jurgen respect me but I respect him a lot," said Guardiola. "He makes me a better manager... his teams are positive, aggressive and they want to attack. I try to imitate him.
"We aren't friends, we don't have dinner together, we will have dinner one day in the hall of fame, I have his telephone number but I don't call him. I have a lot of respect for him and he knows next Saturday, we'll try to beat him."
On top of competing for the league title, the two sides will also butt heads in the FA Cup semi-final next weekend, with City eyeing a treble and Liverpool pushing for the quadruple after their Carabao Cup triumph earlier in the season.
When asked about his side's run-in, Guardiola added: "Seven games in the Premier League is a lot of points, we have to play away, they have to but I had a feeling we'll behave. I don't know what's going to happen. The way we performed against a team that I admire a lot, that made me think a lot, offensively, defensively, make me think for so many years perform the way they perform.
"I want to win the Premier League but it doesn't matter. We're so good and I think all our fans enjoyed it.
"It is what it is [the draw]. You are the pundit, you have to analyse, to write and tell, it's what is. In Anfield we played an incredible half and when we equalised, it was the same result.
"I had the feeling we'll miss the opportunity to get four points but I said to you, it doesn't happen. Win, lose, draw - it's not over. I'd say the same with a win, it's not over because I told you we'd take an advantage. We know what we have to do, go to Madrid, FA Cup then we finish. The Premier League is as big as possible."