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Jurgen Klopp wrongly claimed that Manchester City had two weeks off for a COVID-19 outbreak and Pep Guardiola responded with great sarcasm.
Pep Guardiola expressed disappointment with Jurgen Klopp’s attempt at pre-match mind games after the Liverpool manager falsely claimed Manchester City had “a two-week break due to COVID.”
Champions Liverpool host Premier League leaders City on Sunday, where Guardiola’s men have a chance to go 10 points ahead of Klopp’s side with a match in hand if they can claim a first win at Anfield since 2003.
Both men addressed the media on Friday, with Klopp speaking first and suggesting that a coronavirus outbreak within the City team between Christmas and New Years really helped their bid for the title.
When asked about the mantra Guardiola recently repeated that his team: currently on a 20-game unbeaten streak in all competitions – They are playing better because they have managed to “run less” in possession, Klopp focused his attention on the increase in infections that caused the City’s scheduled trip to Everton for December 28 to be postponed.
Klopp says City had a two-week break
“The more you hold the ball, the less you have to run, probably. We didn’t have a break,” he added. he said.
“I think City had a two-week break for COVID reasons. It’s really difficult. It’s a year, a difficult season; for some teams, it seems minor but, for us, for the reasons you know, it is difficult.”
In reality, City had a seven-day break between their 2-0 win over Newcastle United on Boxing Day and a January 3 trip to Chelsea, where a team exhausted by a series of players who were forced to isolating themselves achieved an impressive 3 -1 victory.
Guardiola responds to Klopp
Having started their own briefing later than scheduled, Guardiola chose to initially respond with strong sarcasm.
“He made a mistake, he had two months off or three months off. Four months off. So we are in top shape at the moment. “ he said.
Jurgen has to look at the calendar again. We had COVID, we had a week and we played with 14 players at Stamford BridgeMaybe I’m wrong, maybe it was three or four weeks.
“Tomorrow, when I see Jurgen, I will tell him: ‘How many weeks or days were we free?’ “
Guardiola endured a stormy lap and a quarter with José Mourinho when the couple was in charge of Barcelona and Real Madrid a decade ago, an issue he was perhaps referring to when he claimed he had Klopp, with whom he also competed in the Bundesliga, a higher levels. .
“I am surprised,” he said. “I thought Jurgen wasn’t that kind of manager like everyone else [for whom] it is customary to do so. I didn’t expect that comment. From him, I didn’t expect it.
“He knows it’s not true, come on! No one in the Premier League has had two weeks off, everyone knows it. In some situation you do. [mind games] with a purpose, but I didn’t expect it to. “
Liverpool have lost their last two home games 1-0 to Burnley and Brighton and Hove Albion.
However, Anfield remains something of a final frontier for Guardiola as City boss, having lost four and attracted one of his five visits to the red side of Stanley Park.
“They are always an incredibly tough team and they are still a tough team,” he said.
“They know the process, the skills, the routines and the methodology that they do offensively. Without changes.
“They are aggressive and they will be more aggressive than ever, I am pretty sure. They will rest very well after the Brighton game and they will recover in these two weeks off and they will be ready.”
City are left without Kevin De Bruyne (hamstring), Nathan Ake (muscular) and Sergio Agüero, who has endured a prolonged absence after testing positive for coronavirus. He is expected to return in a few weeks.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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