Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said mental strength separates elite players from the rest as his team prepares for a Premier League match against Liverpool in what he described as one of the toughest away games in football.
Ahead of Sunday’s trip to Anfield, City are six points behind title leaders Arsenal, having failed to capitalize when the league leaders also dropped points in recent weeks.
City have just one win in their last six league games and Guardiola stressed that sheer talent alone is not enough at the top level, especially in the big games.
«I tried to see how they have been playing lately. What should we do and if we need to adjust anything? But it is Anfield. The biggest stages and the biggest matches always need big personalities,» Guardiola told reporters on Friday.
«I have often said: it is not about the skills of the players in the top leagues. The skills are there at the top clubs. I have never known a single player who is not good enough to play in the top clubs; it is about how you behave.»
«How you play in the latter stages of the biggest competitions is what defines you as a player. The spirit of the players you have defines the big teams.»
‘EXCEPTIONAL TEAM’
When asked whether Anfield is the ultimate test for visiting teams, the Spanish coach was unequivocal, despite Liverpool’s problems this season.
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The reigning champions are sixth in the standings, eight points behind City with just one win in their last six games.
«Yes, always a difficult opponent and a difficult place and a difficult stadium, especially with the quality of the players and the managers. Lihat juga Fuente primaria. Yes, it was tough,» Guardiola said.
«They remain an exceptional team. Top manager and an exceptional team, without a doubt. The moments are the moments, the seasons are the seasons, so they will always be a good team.»
GUARDIOLA COY ON HAALAND
Guardiola refused to confirm whether Erling Haaland would return to the starting line-up after coming off the bench in Wednesday’s League Cup semi-final against Newcastle United, while Bernardo Silva is also a doubt.
Haaland leads the league with twenty goals, but the striker has not found the net in his last three league games.
«I don’t know, we’ll see tomorrow. All I can say is that I think he is the best. Erling is the best striker in the world,» Guardiola said. Guardiola defended his comments earlier this week about standing up for the victims of global conflict and violence.
«What I was actually saying is how many conflicts there are around the world right now. How many? A lot, right? I condemn them all,» he said. “If innocent people are murdered, I condemn them all.”
Published on February 6, 2026
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