Pep Guardiola admitted defeat to Liverpool would have effectively ended Manchester City’s title challenge.
The Premier League champions ended the Merseysiders’ unbeaten start to the season and also reduced the gap at the top to four points.
Despite claiming beforehand that the top of the table clash would not be decisive, Guardiola revealed his true feelings after the 2-1 win.
“We reduced the gap,” said the City manager. “It’s still four points, but it is enough points to be calm.
“It is a good moment to congratulate and say thank you to these incredible players. Today they showed how good they are. They played against an incredible team.
“It was a final for us because lose and it was almost over. Now it is tight again. Now rest and relax.”
Sergio Aguero put City in front five minutes before half time before Roberto Firmino’s second half equaliser.
But Leroy Sane secured a crucial win for City with his 72nd-minute strike.
Jurgen Klopp insisted Liverpool would react well to their first league defeat of the season, saying: “I have so much faith in my players you can’t imagine. If someone had told me after both games against Man City we were four points clear, I would have paid money for it, it’s not possible.
“Football is like this. If we win this and are 10 points ahead and from that point win no games, then nothing happens. If we would have won the title five times in the last 10 years, 100 percent, but we don’t have it.
“We never won it as a team so we want to finish the season as good as possible. It is all fine for us.
“Not in the moment. It feels really bad, but it is only a moment. Then we have an opportunity to work on it.”
