Pep Guardiola says that if his Manchester City side drop any points in their remaining six Premier League games, Liverpool will be champions because he expects them to win every one of their own six.

City headed back to the top of the Premier League table by a one-point margin on Wednesday night having beaten Brighton and Hove Albion 3-0 at the Etihad.

Much of the talk post-match – as ever – was around the title race and having been up against the Reds for top spot in every season since 2018/19, Guardiola has high praise indeed for his nearest challengers.

“Liverpool are one of the best sides in all of football history, they have everything. We’re facing one of the best sides ever, and now we don’t have a chance to drop anything.

“In 2018/19, we won 14 games in a row to become champions. [This season] if we drop points then they will be champions. If not, we will be, it’s not complicated.

“They’re Liverpool, so they’re going to win all of their games. We are going to give everything we have in terms of bodies, minds, and private lives every single game to be the best.

“Three more days [from now]and we have Watford.”

The Citizens next welcome the Hornets to the Etihad on Saturday – April 23 – in a 3:00pm kick-off. Liverpool don’t play again until Sunday when they welcome Everton to Anfield for the Merseyside Derby.

Having picked up the win against Brighton, City have now mathematically qualified for next season’s Champions League and while acknowledging that isn’t the main aim for his side this term, Guardiola wanted to raise the point.

“Today is a happy day for me because next season, we will be in the Champions League. That’s happened because we’ve done well [so far]and you ask the old clubs in the Premier League, the main target is to qualify for the Champions League, we’ve done it again.

“Now we know exactly what we have to do [to win the title].”

Guardiola was also delighted with how the Sky Blues found a way to win against a stubborn Brighton side.

All three goals came in the second half with Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva on target in front of their adoring home supporters.

“Tonight, we were so aggressive and in the second half, we found the goals, but I think that the way we played was quite similar [to the first half].

“We were so dynamic with the ball, and I think that we were mentally fatigued in the last few games, but today they [the team]were amazing. People in the stands see when the team is alive, and I thought that the fans were incredible.”

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