Pep Guardiola has told his Manchester City stars to save any knockout blows for the Anfield pitch after a war of words between Erling Haaland and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The Liverpool defender claimed that silverware ‘means more’ than it does to City, with Haaland and then Ruben Dias hitting back ahead of Sunday's titanic title clash.
Guardiola – who doesn’t believe Klopp’s summer departure will have a bearing on Liverpool’s ability to challenge for trophies – insisted the best response to that is to perform on Merseyside.
‘They defend the club not by responding to this guy but what they have done for many years on the pitch every three days,’ Guardiola said.
‘That is the best way. I could answer but why (bother)? It is what it is. I'm incredibly proud of what we have done and I don't need that to feel that my players are really trying to do it.
‘I'm so happy with my players all the time over many, many years. Do you think we're going to fight because Erling and Ruben talk? We know what happened over the last years and we are going to try again.’
Guardiola sarcastically added of the injured Alexander-Arnold: ‘I wish him well. I wish him a speedy recovery to come back to the pitch as soon as possible.’
Haaland had said ‘the Treble was quite a nice feeling, I don't think he knows exactly this feeling’ and while defending his player, Klopp agreed with the sentiment.
‘For us, maybe it's the fact we didn’t win that many,’ the Liverpool boss said. ‘We don’t know the situation winning five titles. We never had that situation, so we don’t know 100 per cent, that is clear.’
Guardiola and Klopp have spoken since the German confirmed he is leaving Liverpool – and is not expecting a drop-off under his successor. ‘I don’t think (it will be
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