Everton boss Frank Lampard believes Liverpool have shown that they can compete with the riches of Manchester City - despite comments from Jurgen Klopp suggesting otherwise.
And Lampard refused to be drawn on the financial advantage Saudi-owned Newcastle United may have ahead of the Blues' trip to St James' Park on Wednesday.
Prior to the Reds' 1-0 victory against Pep Guardiola's side on Sunday, Klopp was asked how teams could keep pace with City, given their clear financial muscle.
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Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Liverpool manager Klopp said: "Oh, you won’t like the answer. You will not like the answer, and you (the journalists) all have the answer already. Nobody can compete with City in that. You have the best team in the world and you put in the best striker on the market, no matter what it costs you just do it. I know City will not like it, nobody will like it, you've asked the question but you know the answer.
"What does Liverpool do? We cannot act like them. It is not possible. Not possible. It is just clear and again you know the answer. There are three clubs in world football who can do what they want financially. It's legal and everything, fine. But they can do what they want."
City have a 10-point lead on the Reds, even after losing at Anfield on Sunday. But when Lampard was quizzed on how his team could compete with Newcastle, who are propped up by a sovereign wealth fund, his view was different to that of Klopp.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Lampard, a Chelsea legend who also represented City in his playing days, said: "I think in modern football everyone has a different position and a different perspective. Sometimes it changes and I think this is why we love the Premier League. I lived the Chelsea story as a player and I touched it as a Manchester City player for a year. There are a lot of stories there that you can just embrace and love.
"City got vote the Club of the Year last night (at the 2022 Ballon d’Or ceremony) for the many many good things that they do off the pitch. Everybody's different. This thing of financial play I always find a bit strange. There are teams who have a lot more income than we do and can spend more on wages but that's the story of the modern game. It's all relative."
When specifically asked about Klopp's comments on not being able to compete, Lampard added: "Liverpool have competed with them (City) with great coaching. They've brought in (Virgil) Van Dijk and Alisson (Becker). They're clearly going to be amongst it, I can understand what he (Klopp) says. We're the same with Newcastle, they've spent £200m in two windows, we can't do that... I particularly look at the story I was involved in with City, how they handle themselves, I think it's fantastic, that's where I'm at."
Lampard was also quizzed on his thoughts about Liverpool's manager being sent off from the sideline during the match against City and the effect his actions could have on the sport at grassroots level, particularly after a Merseyside junior league postponed last weekend's round of fixtures due to persistent abuse of referees from the pitch-side.
But on this particular matter, Lampard was sympathetic to his local rival and did not draw a parallel between the two.
Lampard said: "We have a responsibility, I understand that. But there's also a microscope on managers in the modern day, where we're in high pressurised jobs. It's easy for me to sit here in a calm moment and say, 'we should be better', and all these things, but the amount of pressure we come under and sometimes the decisions that go against you can throw you.
"I think Jurgen said afterwards, maybe my reaction - we all know that situation. If you're trying to draw a line with that to someone on a Sunday league game and physical reaction, that's just a personal responsibility as it would be if they did it on the street. I don't draw that line. I see manager's handling themselves in high pressure situations 99% of the time well.
"I remember (Thomas) Tuchel and (Antonio) Conte having it out earlier in the season. Everyone was like, 'this is great, this is what the Premier League is all about, seeing passion'. You can't have everything in one go."
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