Liverpool fans have joked that Pep Guardiola secretly 'loves' their club more than Manchester City.
It comes after Liverpool held City to a 1-1 draw at the Etihad on Saturday.
Erling Haaland put the Premier League champions ahead in the first half after an uncharacteristic error from Alisson.
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In the process, Haaland became the fastest man to score 50 Premier League goals, reaching the landmark in just 48 games – smashing the previous record of 65 held by Andy Cole.
Treble winners City wasted several opportunities to move further ahead and were made to pay when Trent Alexander-Arnold fired Liverpool level with a brilliant finish late in the second half.
Guardiola was involved in an altercation with Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez at full-time and later expressed his frustration with the lacklustre atmosphere at the Etihad.
After being spotted gesturing to the crowd during the game, Guardiola was asked after full-time what he was trying to achieve.
"It's 12.30, we were still in the sheets, sleeping. I like noise against Liverpool but it didn't happen. When it doesn't happen, you have to play better to make the crowd follow us," he said.
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Liverpool fans were quick to mock City's supporters following Guardiola's comments.
Meanwhile, others joked the Spaniard would prefer to manage Liverpool after a clip of him interacting with Reds captain Virgil van Dijk resurfaced on social media after the match.
The clip, which was filmed following Liverpool's 2-2 with City in 2022, shows Guardiola joking with Van Dijk after the match.
He holds the defender's arm for several seconds while the pair chat before shaking hands and jokingly slapping him.
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Liverpool fans claim the clip is evidence Guardiola has a soft spot for their club.
"Pep's obsessed with Liverpool I'm convinced he would love to manage us," commented one fan on X.
"He actually loves our club more then city," joked another.
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While a third wrote: "Pep behind it all would love to have been Liverpool manager the fans, the history the players bond with Klopp."
While another simply put: "I've seen enough to know that Pep is a Liverpool supporter."
After their draw on Saturday, City and Liverpool were overtaken in the Premier League by Arsenal, who now lead the league following their 1-0 win over Brentford.
The Gunners lead City by a single point, with Guardiola’s side one point ahead of Liverpool in third.
Topics: Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, Premier League, Virgil Van Dijk, Fan Reactions
Rory O'Callaghan