MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Pep Guardiola dismissed claims that Manchester City could easily overcome Liverpool based on current form when the two teams meet tomorrow.

During Guardiola’s era with City and Jurgen Klopp leading Liverpool, both clubs became the strongest teams in English football.

Liverpool’s title triumph in 2019/20 was City’s only failure to win the league in the past five years, but twice they edged out the Reds by just one point in a fierce title chase.

However, Liverpool’s streak of two wins in eight matches in the Premier League this season has caused City to now open a 13-point gap over Klopp’s squad.

“With just two little things they couldn’t do, something that no other English team could do,” Guardiola said of Liverpool who narrowly missed out on four titles last season.

“It’s the same team, the same manager, things like this can happen. We’ll get through it. We’re trying to avoid a difficult period, but we’ll get through it. It’s part of the normalcy of this tournament.

“The players are aware of it because over the last few years, we’ve been fighting in all the competitions and all the titles. It’s very close and we’re only slightly better in the Premier League, but it doesn’t change my view of them.”

Erling Haaland’s presence at City seems to make it an impossible challenge to wrest the title from Guardiola’s squad.

Haaland has scored 20 goals in 12 competitive appearances, including 15 goals in just nine Premier League appearances.

And the Norwegian forward will be fresher for the trip to Anfield after Guardiola left him on the bench as City drew 0-0 at FC Copenhagen in midweek as they progressed to the last 16 of the Champions League.