Pep Guardiola will make his 1,000th game as a professional manager on Sunday when Manchester City take on Liverpool, a game he has described as the perfect stage for such a career milestone. Since his managerial debut in 2007, Guardiola has established himself as one of football’s most successful managers and expressed his satisfaction at meeting City’s most persistent domestic rivals on this occasion.
“Liverpool was the biggest rival in this country and it couldn’t be better to be honest,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday. “I think we pushed Liverpool to be better and Liverpool pushed us to be better. That’s for sure.”
As Guardiola approached the milestone, he reflected on the fierce competition between Manchester City and Liverpool in recent years, a rivalry that has often determined the Premier League title race. His journey from Barcelona B in Spain’s fourth tier to the top of English football saw 12 domestic league titles and three Champions League crowns.
“The journey and the experiences were incredible,” Guardiola recalled of his first match at Barcelona B in 2007.
When discussing his record, the Spaniard highlighted the remarkable achievement of 715 wins from his first 999 matches. “The numbers are crazy,” he admitted. “It’s hard to achieve and if I started over I wouldn’t have achieved it.”
Guardiola has described the dedication required for sustained success at the highest level, crediting passion and precision for longevity. “It’s been a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication, passion, love and nobody beats me for that. I love the game and I love exploring the secrets of what we can do to our opponents.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s clash, Guardiola said simply: “We hope we can continue.”
Guardiola, who was recently inducted into the League Managers Association’s 1000 Club Hall of Fame, also dealt with comparisons to other managerial greats with characteristic humour. Asked if he considered himself the best manager of all time, the 54-year-old laughed: “They’re absolutely right! Of course I can say I was part of history because the numbers show success and it was nice to watch my teams. But I never started thinking, ‘I want to be the best’.”
Despite a win total in excess of 70%, Guardiola has acknowledged Liverpool’s challenge throughout his time at City. He won just seven of 24 games with the Reds, losing ten, including both games last season when Liverpool won the league title. This weekend’s game could once again prove crucial, with both clubs looking to close the gap on leaders Arsenal.
“If Arsenal continue in this way, not conceding goals or even clear chances, it will be almost impossible to catch them,” said Guardiola, who won six Premier League titles with City.
Looking at the current standings, he emphasized the importance of consistency and the fine margins that define the title race. “You always expect that you can be better and that they can drop points. All we can do is win our games to stay close and they still have to come here. But of course it’s special what they do for two or three seasons. It’s closer and closer every time. But we’re at the beginning of November,” he warned. “You won’t win the title in November, but you can lose it.”
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
November 8, 2025
