Pep Guardiola responds to Jose Mourinho comparisons in trophy dig towards former Manchester United and Chelsea manager

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was keen to point out the difference in Premier League titles won between himself and Jose Mourinho this week.

The latest comments from the Etihad Stadium head coach come after the Catalan tactician stole the headlines in the aftermath of his side’s seventh consecutive match across all competitions without a victory on Sunday afternoon.

Manchester City fell to a 2-0 defeat at Anfield and fell 11 points behind Arne Slot’s Premier League leaders, sparking chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” from the Merseyside faithful in the direction of Guardiola.

The City coach responded by holding up six fingers to the crowd in reference to the six Premier League titles claimed across his eight full seasons at the club so far – many of which have come at Liverpool’s expense.

Speaking prior to City’s meeting with Nottingham Forest this week, Guardiola was quizzed on whether his now iconic ‘six Premier League titles’ gesture at Anfield on Sunday is a potential sign that he has ‘lost his cool’.

“I was never cool,” the 53-year-old responded. “Do you know why I was cool? Because I won, we won. The people who won are so cool, so handsome, so nice. And when you don’t win it’s completely the opposite, but it’s the same.”

Comparisons were also made in light of the gesture at Anfield between Guardiola and former Manchester United and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, when the Portuguese coach made a similar gesture to reporters over his three Premier League titles won.

When it was pointed out that the moment may have signalled the beginning of the end for Mourinho at Old Trafford, Guardiola reacted, “I hope not in my case!

“At the end maybe we are quite similar like Jose, but he won three (Premier League titles), I won six! But it’s the same, so we are together, in that situation. It’s just to make our fans feel that we are much, much better than the people can think about that.”

Guardiola continued, “What we have done has been extraordinary, and in a place that is exceptional for many, many reasons, I want to prove that we are an incredible football club. Apparently it doesn’t look like.”