Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is unsure whether Jurgen Klopp’s exit from Liverpool will make his job easier and believes multiple challengers for the Premier League are emerging.
Liverpool and Manchester City have won each of the last six league titles with the Reds the only team to have stopped an unbroken run of dominance from Guardiola’s side.
The sides meet in the Premier League this weekend, sat first and second in the table as the teams contest for the championship once again.
Liverpool are preparing for change with Jurgen Klopp having announced he will leave his post at the end of the season, though Guardiola does not believe the German’s exit will necessarily benefit his team.
The Spaniard believes the Premier League is continuing to improve and has backed Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United to compete at the top end next season.
“I would like to know (if Klopp leaving makes his job easier), but I don’t think so. Liverpool have always been Liverpool and the contenders are already there,” Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference.
“Arsenal is already there. Last season his [Mikel Arteta’s] team was the biggest rival, not Liverpool. Look how they are playing. Liverpool needs 90 minutes to win the game, we need sometimes more than 90 minutes to win the games, Arsenal need 25 minutes to win the games.
“I guess the other teams, Tottenham will make a step forward, and United, Newcastle maybe will be back, on maybe one game a week, so we will see. But next season is next season. I don’t have the ability to think about it, what is going to happen next.”
