We want to be there – Pep Guardiola determined to keep Man City on their perch

Pep Guardiola’s side take on Brighton this weekend (Martin Rickett/PA).

Pep Guardiola has warned Sir Jim Ratcliffe Manchester City will not be knocked off their perch easily.

The City boss has also pointed out to Manchester United’s newly-arrived major investor that reaching the top of the game – and staying there – will be a tough challenge.

Ratcliffe this week reprised the words of Sir Alex Ferguson when setting out his ambition for the Old Trafford club.

The billionaire Ineos owner, who has acquired a 27.7 per cent stake in United, said he wanted to knock both City and Liverpool, whom the Red Devils have fallen behind significantly in recent years, “off their perch”.

Ferguson famously spoke in similar terms in his early days as United manager in the late 1980s when Liverpool were the dominant force.

Guardiola said: “I’m pretty sure with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the other people that United are going to take a step forwards.

“But that is normal, it’s not just United. All the teams want it. We want to be there and, as long as I’m here, we will try to be there again.

“What I want is Man City, my team, being there. The rest, I don’t care. We want to be there.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has bought a 27.7 per cent stake in Manchester United (Peter Byrne/PA).

The on-field gulf between United and present-day City is wide, with Guardiola’s men having won 14 trophies in the past six years to their rivals’ one, capped by last season’s treble.

Guardiola says that success is down to a lot of hard work both on and off the field.

He said: “You don’t have success if all the elements of the club are not together, it’s impossible. It doesn’t belong to one player, one manager, one anything.

“All the details have to be on the same path, aligned,