Pep Guardiola insists Jurgen Klopp "makes him a better manager" after Manchester City's pulsating 2-2 draw with Premier League title rivals Liverpool at the Etihad.
Sunday's game was enthralling from start to finish. City opened the scoring after just five minutes, as Kevin De Bruyne's deflected strike found the back of Alisson's net. Moments later, Liverpool forward Diogo Jota finished off a nice move to make it 1-1.
The Reds were frenetic and nervous throughout the first half - and Gabriel Jesus took advantage by making it 2-1 to City in the 36th minute. Liverpool were much better after the interval and needed just 47 seconds to equalise through Sadio Mane.
City remain top of the table, one point clear of Klopp's side. Both teams still have seven games remaining, although none of City's fixtures are against so-called "Big Six" clubs. Liverpool, meanwhile, still have to play Manchester United and Tottenham.
"I don’t know if Jurgen respect me but I respect him a lot," said Guardiola. "He makes me a better manager... his teams are positive, aggressive and they want to attack. I try to imitate him.
"We aren’t friends, we don’t have dinner together, we will have dinner one day in the hall of fame, I have his telephone number but I don’t call him. I have a lot of respect for him and he knows next Saturday, we’ll try to beat him."
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On City's run in, Guardiola added: "Seven games in the Premier League is a lot of points, we have to play away, they have to but I had a feeling we’ll behave. I don’t know what’s going to happen. The way we performed against a team that I admire a lot.
"That made me think a lot, offensively, defensively, make me think for so many years perform the way they perform, I want to win the Premier League but it doesn’t matter. We’re so good and I think all our fans enjoyed it.
"It is what it is [the draw]. You are the pundit, you have to analyse, to write and tell, it’s what is. In Anfield we played an incredible half and when we equalised, it was the same result.
"I had the feeling we’ll miss the opportunity to get four points but I said to you, it doesn’t happen win, lose, draw it’s not over. I’d say the same with a win, it’s not over because I told you we’d take an advantage. We know what we have to do, go to Madrid, FA Cup then we finish. The Premier League is as big as possible."
Guardiola went on to say: "It’s a good advert for the Premier League for fans around the world, it was a fantastic game. Both teams try to win, we did everything but we didn’t win.
"I had a feeling we let them leave here alive, Liverpool is a joy to watch, I know the threats they have up front. I think we performed really well, I’m really proud. I said I don’t want heads down, heads up and we’ll announce around the world, we performed incredibly well. Seven games left, we have to win all of them otherwise it’ll be over. We’re going to play for that and that's it."
