October 29, (THEWILL) – Manchester City Manager, Pep Guardiola, has claimed Liverpool, not Manchester United, have been their main rivals in recent seasons ahead of Sunday’s derby clash.
Speaking in a pre-match press conference, the Spaniard insisted City’s on-pitch battles with Liverpool have defined his tenure more than the Manchester derby.
Guardiola said: “There was one year with Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] that was quite close, but overall it has been Liverpool. When I finish my time here, Liverpool have been my rivals and our rivals.”
He added: “They have made us a challenge and helped make us a better team. They have challenged us like no other team has done in my time here.”
The City boss also reflected on Sir Alex Ferguson’s previous dismissal of City as title challengers before the Abu Dhabi takeover, agreeing the Scot was right at the time. Guardiola said: “At that moment, Sir Alex Ferguson could not expect what had happened, even myself when I was in Barcelona thought the same.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
