Liverpool vs Man City: Pep Guardiola says Reds are ‘strongest team in world’

Jurgen Klopp‘s outfit are six points clear at the top of the Premier League heading into the weekend

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (Getty Images)

Pep Guardiola takes his Manchester City side to Anfield to face Liverpool this weekend and says the hosts are the best team on the planet right now.

Jurgen Klopp‘s outfit are six points clear at the top of the Premier League heading into the weekend, meaning the reigning champions must seek to take points off the Reds.

It’s a classic matchup between the league’s two best sides, but Guardiola says he has never faced a team like Liverpool before in his managerial career.

Considering he has gone up against the likes of Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid, the Portuguese manager’s Champions League-winning Inter Milan side, Klopp’s own Borussia Dortmund and, more recently, Antonio Conte’s Premier League winners Chelsea, it’s high praise indeed.

But this Liverpool side beats them all, Guardiola says, after being pushed to the limit last season to land the title.

“Last season when we won the league, we won the Premier League [against] the best contender I ever faced in my career,” he said in his press conference.

“This was one of the biggest achievements we achieved as a club.

“Probably right now [Liverpool are] the strongest team in the world. Playing at Anfield, we know what it means for them and for all their rivals.

“[But ]it’s 90 minutes and we’re going to try to follow the plan with thought in this game.”

City go into the game with a couple of players missing from their regular strongest lineup, with David Silva and Aymeric Laporte injured and goalkeeper Ederson joining them this week.

The Brazilian stopper went off against Atalanta in the Champions League in midweek, with his replacement Claudio Bravo being shown a red card in the second half

Bravo will play against Liverpool on Sunday (REUTERS)

Guardiola, though, says he has no worries over the Chilean playing at Anfield, pointing to his experience, his long career and the fact he regularly impresses in training.

“Why should I not be confident with my players on my team? Why do you ask these kind of questions about having doubts because the regular [player] doesn’t play?

“I would not like to be a player and my manager doubts me; I saw him every day in training sessions, how he fights, how good a goalkeeper he is.

“We are not going to lose because of Claudio.

“The red card from Atalanta is because we lost the ball in a dangerous situation.

“You have to respect this guy, a career at a top, incredible level. He won the Copa America. He’s a top, top keeper. The first season was a struggle a little bit in a new league; it was because the team was not in the top level. The problem was not Claudio. It’s easy to point fingers. Why should I not have confidence?”