Jurgen Klopp Insists Liverpool Will Show No Fear When 'World Class' Manchester City Visit Anfield

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has insisted his side will hold no fear when they take on Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.  

The Citizens make the short trip to Merseyside while possessing an 18-point buffer over the Reds in the league, who currently sit fourth, and a 15-point advantage over second-place Manchester United. 

In their current unbeaten run, Pep Guardiola's outfit have secured 20 wins out of a possible 22, with points being dropped only against Everton and Crystal Palace. 

However, despite their dominance, and Klopp labelling his Spanish counterpart as simply 'world class', the German has claimed Liverpool will not treat Manchester City differently to any other opponent they face, insisting it is his side's performance that is most important. 

"I welcome Pep Guardiola, his players, staff, officials and supporters of Manchester City to Anfield", the 50-year-old in his column for This is Anfield, as quoted by the club's official website. 

"I’ve spoken many times both here in England and back in Germany of my respect for Pep as a person and as a professional. 

"He can be summed up in two words and one phrase: ‘world-class’.

"We respect City, as we respect every opponent. We have studied their strengths and their weaknesses, as they will have done with us. I would expect the respect is mutual, because they are smart people who will know our own quality is as good as their own.

"But my players will not need extra motivation or focus for this game, just because we play a side that is in a very good way. 

"We focus, as always, on ourselves in the first instance, and when we do that we see a team that has performed to the highest level this season and is continuing to grow and get better as the campaign progresses. 

"To win any game in the Premier League means you have to perform to your maximum – anything less and you have problems.

"That’s the overriding message today: give your best and everything else will look after itself. We know our supporters will be on their game today."