Klopp rejects Guardiola's 'best in world' tag ahead of Liverpool clash at Manchester City

Posted Thursday, January 03, 2019 by ESPN

Klopp rejects Guardiola's 'best in world' tag ahead of Liverpool clash at Manchester City
Jurgen Klopp insists Pep Guardiola's Manchester City remain the team to beat. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Jurgen Klopp still considers Manchester City to be the best team in the world, rejecting Pep Guardiola's claim that Liverpool are the team to beat.

Guardiola has said it would be "almost impossible" for City to defend their Premier League title if they drop points when Liverpool visit the Etihad on Thursday due of the strength of the league leaders.

But despite Liverpool's unbeaten start to the league campaign and their seven-point advantage at the summit, Klopp is adamant City remain the best.

"The opponent, for me, is still the best team in the world. And I don't say that to say it, I said it weeks ago," he told a news conference on Wednesday.

"It's 100 percent my opinion because the way they play, the things they achieved, the ability and all that stuff. Nothing changed. Only the points changed, but not the preparation for the game."

Klopp added: "I heard [Guardiola's comments]. He said: In the moment.' Yes, with the record we had in December -- I'm not sure if another team had a record like this in December, I don't know -- we are in a good moment. And we are a very, very, very good football team as well, so that's why we have the amount of points, that's why we had the results. But we prepare for one game.

"Would I say they are the best team in the world if nobody asked me? No. But we talk about it. It sounds like we go there and we are more likely to win the game than they [are]. It's just not true.

"Only the situation a couple of weeks ago, we were a point behind and if you lose then it's four points. It's only talk, it's nothing to do with the reality. A big part of the football world is talking about it before it happens. But we are there to let it happen. That's the difference.

"We are very excited because it's a very interesting, difficult, game we have to play. Apart from that, it's a normal situation."

Liverpool are searching for their first league title since 1990, as well as their first trophy under Klopp's management.

Klopp, however, considers Liverpool reaching May's Champions League final, which ended in a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid, to be a turning point in his players no longer feeling the weight of Liverpool's trophy-laden history.

"I think we got finally rid of the backpack when we reached the Champions League final," he said. "We didn't win it, yes. But not 20 teams reached the Champions League final.

"That was the moment when we did, the boys did, something really special. Yes, we didn't win it, but the ride there was unbelievable, the journey was unbelievable. Since then it feels different. That's true."

Meanwhile, James Milner is back in full training after missing Liverpool's last two matches with a hamstring issue and could feature against his former club on Thursday.

"Yesterday [was the] first time he trained with us," Klopp said. "That's the situation, so we will see what we do with that."