Pep Guardiola makes Jurgen Klopp claim on Arne Slot after Liverpool's bright start

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed there is a new set of research he must do with Liverpool following Arne Slot’s arrival.

The Reds have started perfectly, going beat-for-beat with the reigning champions after three wins in three games so far. In the past, Jurgen Klopp was the only manager, other than Antonio Conte at Chelsea, to win a league title in England while Guardiola was in charge at City - an era that saw them contest the league on a few occasions, raising the levels of what was expected from a title-winning side.

Klopp managed eight wins over Guardiola in their time in England, with the Spaniard recording seven while seven were draws. Liverpool denied them for the title in the 2019/20 season while Liverpool lost out on the final day of both the 2018/19 and 2021/22 campaigns in what were both incredible and historic Premier League seasons.

As it stands, the two sides won’t meet until November 30 at Anfield. But Guardiola will be doing his homework ahead of that as the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager revealed the appointment of Slot has forced him to dig deep into the archives, he told Sky Sports: "When I play a new club in the Champions League that I don't know, I see much more than playing against Arsenal, for example. Of course I want to watch Arsenal a lot, but Mikel has been there four or five years.

"And before with Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool. Now I have to watch more Liverpool because of Arne: I don't know exactly what they do. But with Jurgen, we knew each other better. When I was younger, I watched much, much more than now. Now I'm lazier. I think I watch well enough to understand what the opponents want to do. I try to choose the right footage to show my players, to convince them of what to do to try and beat them."

If the Dutchman is to eclipse Klopp in his time, which is a near-impossible task, then dethroning Guardiola would be the perfect way to start. Of course, he is in the final year of his current deal and could exit in 2025 making that reality easier in the future. It remains to be seen if Liverpool’s squad can go maintain their form from last season and then improve further after falling away in the title race in the final knockings of Klopp’s final year.

There’s also the threat of Arsenal who possess an incredible defensive shape that has seen them flourish under Mikel Arteta, going close in the past two years. The trio of clubs are likely to be the top three clubs once again and Slot, much like Guardiola, will also have done his homework on how to get the edge over this all-conquering City side but that’s a task that is easier said than done.