MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Sunday, March 19, 2017: Liverpool's Manager J¸rgen Klopp and Manchester City's Manager Manager Pep Guardiola after the FA Premier League match at the City of Manchester Stadium. (Pic by Gavin Trafford/Propaganda)

Jurgen Klopp labels Pep Guardiola “the world’s best manager”

Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola will meet for the 23rd time in their managerial careers on Sunday, and the Liverpool boss dished out the title Reds reserve only for him.

Since the start of the 2018/19 season, Man City have collected 338 points and Liverpool 337 – that same margin is also reflected in the current league table ahead of the weekend kickoff.

And if not for City, Liverpool’s trophy cabinet in recent years may have had more additions but the same can be said for the Reds doing the same to Guardiola’s side.

It has proved a captivating tussle between the two clubs and Klopp is not short on respect for his counterpart, calling Guardiola the “the world’s best manager” as they get ready to meet again.

“If I would be a different person I would be, probably, a little bit depressed about the fact that Pep Guardiola is constantly coaching these kind of teams,” Klopp told the club’s official website.

“Maybe in Dortmund we could’ve won more titles if Pep wouldn’t have been at Bayern. Now, it is pretty much the same, imagine if he would not be here, we probably could’ve won at least one more league title.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp (left) and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hug after the final whistle during the Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool.

“But I am not like this, thank God. So, I am completely happy with our situation.

“I respect a lot what they do, it’s an insane football team. And, for me, the world’s best manager.

“So, that’s a combination which makes it quite tricky. But, the good news, they are human beings as well. So, we all feel in moments. We do, they do.

“You have to be strong enough to be there when they are ready to play, let me say, or to be the reason. That’s how it is.

If they bleed, you can kill it and that’s what Liverpool’s objective will be at the Etihad with a chance to move two points clear at the top with their 23rd win of the season.

LONDON, ENGLAND - Wednesday, March 16, 2022: Liverpool's Diogo Jota (C) celebrates with team-mate Thiago Alcantara (R) after scoring the first goal during the FA Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC at the Emirates Stadium. Liverpool won 2-0. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

And while we may have different ideas as to who the best manager in the world is, we are certainly on board with the notion that there ought to be no pressure, only opportunity for Liverpool.

“If you have a chance, I really think you should give it a go. That is exactly our situation,” Klopp said.

“There’s no pressure, it’s just opportunity. So, let’s go for it and let’s see where we end up.”