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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about his squad ahead of their game with Liverpool and title race with Arsenal
Pep Guardiola is ready for Manchester City to give Liverpool a fight that never arrived last season.
The two teams have gone toe-to-toe for most of Guardiola's decade in English football, but amid an injury crisis last year the Blues saw their standards fall. Both games against Liverpool saw meek performances, with two goalkeepers and two academy players filling the bench for the Anfield defeat last December before four new signings for the March return failed to spark any improvement.
Things looked bleak again for City after five games of this campaign when they sat eight points behind an Arne Slot side that had enjoyed a perfect start to their title defence. However, the Blues begin the weekend ahead in the table after a remarkable loss of form from Liverpool and will be looking to use their home advantage to pull further away.
As much attention as there will be on Erling Haaland after his formidable start to the season, Guardiola now has a far better team and squad to call on than he did last year at the height of their struggles. The Aston Villa defeat last month now stands as the only loss in their last 13 matches in all competitions, meaning they head into this clash with far more optimism and confidence.
"If you see the bench now, we have weapons to change the dynamic and change systems. All I ask is for them to be ready," said Guardiola. "The guys on the bench from minute one have to feel they are playing the game and be ready because today from the bench you can have a huge impact. Last season we didn't have that.
"I think the feeling is better but we have to prove it again. The last two victories helped us again. After the defeat in Villa, Swansea helped us again in the way we played.
"We showed many good things in that game, attacking a low block - especially in the second half - and then Bournemouth and Dortmund helped us a lot. We know the rival that we have.
"I saw the game against Madrid, the quality that [Liverpool] have in all positions is outstanding. It's a top, top team but we are with our people.
"Hopefully they come to celebrate my anniversary and together we can beat an important rival."
Both teams are looking to keep in touching distance of leaders Arsenal, who have a six-point lead at the top of the table. The momentum is with the Gunners - especially given their two biggest rivals play each other this weekend - but Guardiola's team have history of reeling them in over the course of a long season.
"If they continue in that way and don't concede goals it will be almost impossible, but you always expect you will be better and they can drop points," he said.
"All we can do is win our games and be close. They have to come here and many things this season we will experience. After the process to rebuild the club and rebuild the team, being there for the last two or three years and going to the market for many many years, they are there.
"Of course, it is exceptional what they are doing already for two or three seasons. It looks like every time it is closer and closer but we are in early November and nobody can win the title then. You can lose it, but you cannot win it."
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