Bigger than El Clasico?! Man City boss Pep Guardiola plays down comparison with Liverpool rivalry ahead of top-of-the-table clash

The Manchester City manager stated that while the rivalry between his team and Liverpool has grown manifold in the last few years, it is still no match for El Clasico as the Cityzens were not at the same level as the Reds in the past decades.

Speaking to reporters, the former Barcelona manager said, "It’s different. If you compare it to Barcelona and Real Madrid, Manchester City was never in the past contenders (with them). Liverpool, in the seasons since I’ve been here, they have been our best rivals. El Clasico is still the biggest game in world football."

The 52-year-old has been part of several El Clasicos both as a player and as a coach. He holds an impeccable managerial record of winning six La Liga Clasicos out of the eight he has been a part of.

In the Premier League, he has never lost a game against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool at home in the last seven years. His only defeat at Etihad came in the Champions League during the 2017/18 season.

At the moment, only a point separates the two title contenders as they are set to lock horns in a top-of-the-table Premier League clash on Saturday.