Pep Guardiola has hit back at the 'ridiculous' claims that Manchester City had won the title back in December after Liverpool moved to within three points of his side in the table.
The Reds cut the gap between themselves and City on Wednesday night after they thrashed Leeds United 6-0 at Anfield in their game in hand.
Jurgen Klopp's side warmed up for Sunday's Carabao Cup final with an utterly dominant display that included three goals in 20 first-half minutes.
Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane scored two apiece while Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk were also on target at Anfield against Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
It was the sixth consecutive victory that Liverpool have recorded in the Premier League, and came just days after City were beaten 3-2 by Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad.
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City had looked to be running away with the title back in December after Liverpool were held away by Spurs and then beaten by Leicester City at the King Power.
However, a huge swing in results has seen Liverpool jump right back into contention for the title, with the two sides scheduled to meet at the Etihad at the start of April.
“It's ridiculous I have to argue this. I'm sorry. When we were champions it wasn't in December or January," Guardiola replied via the MEN when asked if recent results were proof the league was never finished in December.
“Yesterday we saw Wolves, Arsenal, so intense, I realise how good both teams are. What's next, try to win the next game. I knew it before, it's not a surprise.
“A lot of games, arrive they are so good, not just Liverpool. Let's try to do it. Today we are in the competitions, the games we drop points especially the last part, not the beginning of the season, like always we play, we were so late in pre-season. We played really well."
Guardiola then continued on the title race, saying: "Why should it not be exciting for me? Maybe if we had 25 points more than Liverpool but this is another world, not this one.
"I'm more than delighted to be in the position that we are and we want to defend it, attack better and win games. The Premier League is so tough. I saw the game yesterday and how Tottenham played last game. Every game is so difficult.
"That's why the biggest achievement that we achieved in these last years in this club, because it is quite similar the Premier League now to what we did in previous seasons.
"The teams and managers are so intense, so good. That's why it is a big challenge but I could not expect another. When we started a season I could not expect that it would not be like right now it is.
"I will say I'm more than grateful that we're getting better than maybe I thought at the beginning of the season. Try to attack when the teams are in this way for the quality that we have is not easy, we try to find solutions. We try to find a process and do better and what we have to do to improve in the end.
"A football team never ends, it is never a finished business, there is always something to get better.
"We go to training to do it better, otherwise it would be so boring. I never thought it was over. It will be over at the end and we want to be there and this is what I want for my team."
