Man City's Pep Guardiola reflects on 1,000-game milestone, misses Jurgen Klopp rivalry

The match is fittingly against Liverpool, the club that defined much of his Premier League journey.

The Catalan, now in his 10th season at City, called the milestone "insane" and reflected on how Liverpool, first under Klopp and now Arne Slot, have been his greatest challengers. "If I were to choose one rival for this personal milestone, that I want to share with many people, they (Klopp's Liverpool) would be the best," Guardiola said ahead of the match at the Etihad.

Guardiola, 54, has built one of football's most remarkable managerial records across spells with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City. Since arriving in England in 2016, he has delivered six Premier League titles, four of them in direct duels with Klopp.

In two of the seasons City missed out, 2019-20 and 2024-25, Liverpool were crowned champions, first under Klopp and later under Slot.

Although Guardiola has also enjoyed high-profile rivalries with the likes of Jose Mourinho during his time in Spain, he admitted that none have challenged him quite like Klopp. "Liverpool, especially with Jurgen, have been the biggest rivals in this country and it could not be better, to be honest. So destiny decided that and it's nice to live it," he said.

Guardiola and Klopp's rivalry stretches back over a decade to their Bundesliga days, when Guardiola's Bayern Munich and Klopp's Borussia Dortmund dominated German football. The City boss revealed he still feels the absence of that fierce competition. "I had the feeling that Jurgen gave me a lot and I miss him," he said.

"He gave me a lot in the sense of, to beat that guy, how much I have to think and work and do it, to make it better."

Sunday's clash with Liverpool is not just another Premier League fixture for Guardiola, it is the latest chapter in a career defined by relentless pursuit of excellence and by rivals who have brought out the very best in him.

READ MORE: Vincent Kompany hints at Bayern Munich squad rotation ahead of Union Berlin clash