Pep Guardiola yesterday dismissed Jurgen Klopp's suggestion that Manchester City are a team with no sign of weakness as the two battle for the Premier League title. Guardiola's City and Klopp's Liverpool appear to be the two main contenders in the title race, as the season approaches its halfway point.

With few slip-ups from either side, their meeting on January 3 looks a significant moment in the battle for first place — a position held by unbeaten Liverpool going into the weekend's fixtures. Yet Klopp claimed this week that the only team that can stop Guardiola's men from defending their title are City themselves.