Manchester City will hail Liverpool - their usurpers as Premier League champions - a guard of honour when the teams meet at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday, manager Pep Guardiola has said.
Liverpool ended their 30-year wait for a top-flight title when last season’s champions City were beaten 2-1 by Chelsea last week, handing the Merseyside club an unassailable 23-point lead at the top of the table.
Liverpool’s first match since being confirmed as champions is at City’s stadium and Guardiola said his players would pay tribute to Jurgen Klopp’s title-winning side.
- What now for Liverpool after ending Premier League title drought?
- Hungry Klopp plans to build on Liverpool's English Premier League title win
- Premier League champions: Klopp has turned doubters into true believers with Liverpool
- What they said: Liverpool - English Premier League champions
- From LeBron to Wozniacki: Celebrities line up to congratulate Liverpool
“We are going to do the guard of honour of course,” Guardiola said. “We will greet Liverpool, when they come to our house, in an incredible way. We are going to do it because they deserve it.” The 49-year-old added that he was already looking forward to helping City come back stronger next season.
“In sport you have to live in the future,” Guardiola said. “Never can you have one eye on what you have done. Never forget that we are an incredible club and organisation and what you have to do is learn.
“I think we know the reason why we suffered this season and we are going to try to solve it for next season.”