'I didn't expect that at Anfield' - Guardiola on 'sacked in the morning' chants

"Sacked successful the morning, you're getting sacked successful the morning."

Liverpool were closing successful connected a triumph that would instrumentality them 11 points wide of rubric rivals Manchester City erstwhile the chants echoed astir Anfield successful the 89th minute.

They were directed astatine Pep Guardiola, the mastermind down six Premier League rubric triumphs since taking complaint of City successful 2016.

The City boss, lasting successful his method area, responded with a grin and past took his hands retired of his pockets to clasp up 1 manus and 1 digit to bespeak the fig of titles City person won nether him.

"I didn't expect that astatine Anfield," Guardiola told Sky Sports afterwards erstwhile asked astir the "sacked successful the morning" chants.

"I didn't expect it from the radical from Liverpool but it's fine, it's portion of the game, and I recognize completely.

"We've had unthinkable battles together. I person a respect for them."

City, who extremity the play 5th successful the array beneath Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Brighton, person mislaid their past 4 top-flight games for the archetypal clip since August 2008.

In addition, they are without a triumph successful 7 successful each competitions - unheard of nether Guardiola who has brought truthful overmuch joyousness and occurrence to City successful the past 8 years.

"All the stadiums privation to sack me, it started astatine Brighton [on 9 November]," added the 53-year-old, who signed a caller two-year declaration extension past month.

"Maybe they are close with the results we've been having."

Guardiola has besides delivered 1 Champions League, 2 FA Cups, 4 EFL Cups, the Fifa Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup during his clip astatine City.

BBC Radio 5 Live main shot analogous John Murray, who was astatine Anfield, said Guardiola besides made the fig six motion successful beforehand of City's travelling aft the last whistle.

"Pep is successful beforehand of the City fans and again he's putting 1 manus and 1 digit up," added Murray.

"Those are the six titles helium is talking about. It's similar he's saying, 'remember what we've done'."

City person been English champions successful six of the past 7 seasons nether Guardiola - Liverpool won connected the different juncture - but the spread betwixt them and the table-topping Reds has prompted immoderate pundits to constitute disconnected their rubric chances aft their latest loss.

"I don't spot there's immoderate mode backmost for Manchester City now," erstwhile Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said connected Sky Sports.

"Sometimes you request to suffer truthful radical realise what you've done - but this play Manchester City volition not triumph the Premier League."

Former City defender Micah Richards added: "I wouldn't accidental it's the extremity of an era.

"It's a hard time, but they're going to find a mode to get back. Some of the players person fto Guardiola down today. They're a shadiness of their best."

Yet with 25 games and 75 points inactive to play for, Guardiola refused to concede the rubric contempt the 11-point spread betwixt City and Liverpool.

"Teams are bully and we can't grip it close now," helium admitted. "I person to find a solution to beryllium solid. What tin I say?

"These players person fixed maine the accidental to unrecorded possibly the champion years of my life. All I tin bash is beryllium present to effort to find a solution."

In what is being regarded arsenic comments directed towards his playing squad and the club's aboriginal ambitions, Guardiola added: "In the close infinitesimal the nine volition instrumentality a determination astir what is needed to let this nine to inactive beryllium there."