Klopp makes admission about Liverpool knocking Pep Guardiola off his perch

Jurgen Klopp has admitted he is driven by the burning ambition to knock Pep Guardiola off his perch.

The Liverpool boss paid rich tribute to Guardiola and his Manchester City team before the showdown at the Etihad by calling them the "best in the world." But Klopp qualified his praise by insisting: "I always wanted to be the coach of the team who can beat the best team in the world."

There have been no mind games between the top two managers of the top two teams in the Premier League. But Klopp sounded like a man who feels he has Guardiola's number despite boasting just one win in his last eight visits to the Etihad.

"What I say about City, I really mean," said Klopp. "Pep is the best coach in the world - no problem with that - but I always wanted to be the coach of the team who can beat the best team in the world. And actually I achieved that as well, somehow - and now we have to make sure Sunday is the day. There is a little bit of work to do but we have time and nothing else to do, so let's give it a try."

Liverpool were 14 points behind the champions in January. But they won their two games in hand - and have reeled City in over the last few weeks to close the gap to just a single point. The teams meet again, in the semi-final of the FA Cup at Wembley on Saturday, and also racked up first leg victories in the Champions League quarter-finals. Having already lifted the Carabao Cup, the Merseysiders have a quadruple in their sights while City can still win the treble.

Klopp said: "We knew it was 14 points but we didn't care, we just had to win as many points as possible until the end of the season. If we hadn't tried, I would be disappointed. Not winning the league will be disappointing but there are other things to go for, like other cup competitions and the Champions League. So there is a lot to go for and for those you need momentum and you need rhythm."

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Klopp has another two seasons left on his Anfield contract, while Guardiola's deal at City expires in the summer of 2023. Both men have produced a rivalry over the past five years that is as good as anything ever seen in England. And Klopp suggested that maybe they should get together when their time in the game comes to an end to reminisce about the time they took the Premier League to new heights.

Klopp said: "I will not miss it, I know that. But maybe when we both finish our careers we might meet somewhere and sit together for hours and hours and hours and just speak about the different things we saw in this game and that game. It would be interesting, no doubt about that. But I really think that as a club we should enjoy the ride because it is so special. It is not always easy to really feel the joy, but we should remind ourselves from time to time.

"I don't need to remind myself. I could not be happier - today even the weather is great. I woke up this morning and when I opened the laptop, I saw we were playing City in a very interesting game. In these moments I really appreciate my job. It is exactly what I want to do. Then you realise there is a job to do and that they (City) are a handful - but we are as well. That is what is constantly in my mind."