Pep Guardiola: 'Jurgen Klopp has helped me become a better manager'

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola claims that Jurgen Klopp has made him a better manager over the years, ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash against title rivals Liverpool.

Apart from the 2015-16 season, both managers have locked horns for the last eight years across all competitions, with Guardiola hoping to claim his second successive win at Anfield this weekend, after City's 4-1 success away from home last season.

Speaking to the press ahead of Sunday's encounter, Guardiola stated that he is looking forward to another battle with Klopp, and feels his rivalry with the German has forced him to prove himself as a top manager.

"He helped me, his teams helped me to be a better manager. Give me another level to think about it, prove myself, what I have to do to be a better manager with our teams to try and beat them," the Spaniard said on Friday.

"It's the reason why I'm still in this business. There are some managers, Jurgen is one, to challenge you to move a step forward. In Germany when we faced each other, I couldn't face him in Barcelona.

"Here in England we have many years, many competitions together. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. Every game was nice, both teams have the same idea, go to score goals in different ways. He is quicker than us, but in the same way to win the games."

Including encounters in Germany, when Guardiola and Klopp were in charge at Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund respectively, both managers have faced each other 21 times across all competitions, winning nine games each.