Pep Guardiola has paid tribute to Liverpool by declaring that Manchester City could not have found a better rival than the Reds and that the challenge from Jurgen Klopp's men actually improved his own side.
Although Liverpool ultimately ended the season on a massive high by landing their sixth European Cup – a trophy which City of course have never won – their wait for the League Championship now extends to a 30th year after they were pipped to the post in the title race.
While City had enjoyed a cake walk to the Premier League title a year earlier with their 100 point total in 2018 some 19 points ahead of nearest challengers, neighbours United, and some 25 points clear of fourth-placed Liverpool.
However, the Reds' remarkable improvement in 2018/19, to finish runners-up with a club record 97 points, produced a points haul that would have only have been bettered by two teams in English top-flight football history – City's class of 2019 and 2018.
Of Liverpool, Guardiola told the Premier League's official website : “They help us to be a better team, I am 100% convinced of that.
“When you have a contender like Liverpool and you analyse the quality they have in all departments, neutralising the counter-attack against 10 players, for Liverpool that happened quite often like it did for us.
“I have the feeling that they made us a better team. Always the value of the titles you win depends on the quality of the contender, your big rival.
“I cannot find a better one than Liverpool.
“In that level, that high level, it's not just down to mental factors or skill, power or technique, it's a mix for everything.
“As much as you increase the standard for all departments you are closer to achieve what you want to achieve.”
Guardiola admitted there were times when it seemed as though the Premier League trophy's destiny could be moving from the Etihad Stadium to Anfield but he believes his own players' resoluteness proved the decisive as they inflicted what was proved to be Liverpool's only Premier League defeat of the season in January.
He said: “There were many stand-out moments, maybe when we were seven points behind and could have gone 10 points behind, we never give up.
“When you are seven points behind Liverpool and you see every weekend how they play, you have the tendency to think that we did it last season and now it is Liverpool's turn but they (City's players) never give up, that was the key point this season.”
