He has more balls than anybody – Guardiola delighted with Stones display

Liverpool responded to that scare by bounding up to the other end and winning a corner as Roberto Firmino forced Willy Caballero into a save, leading to a succession of unsafe corners as good work by the ‘keeper kept City level, including a fine reflex save from an Adam Lallana strike.

“We arrive here against Liverpool who have no Europe all season and one week to prepare”.

In nine games against those teams this season Liverpool are unbeaten and have taken an impressive 19 points which is why they will travel to third-placed Manchester City on Sunday brimming with confidence.

“It is one of the happiest days of my career as a manager”.

Guardiola’s insistence on the word “exceptional” brought to mind the “Special One” moniker earned by Jose Mourinho after he described himself as a “special” manager following his arrival at Chelsea in 2004.

“Now we will send the boys all over the world to their national teams, hopefully they come back healthy and then we will go again”.

Klopp said: “Our record in these games has been very good but it was always really hard work, not a kind of genius or whatever”.

That came after several other near misses, including Kevin De Bruyne hitting the post, and a number of controversially-rejected penalty appeals at each end.

“Emre has an outstanding attitude”, said Klopp.

“It was so tough and in training we didn’t speak, so how we reacted means a lot”, he said.”We had a lot of players with problems, and with the doctor they said: ‘No, I…”

Arsenal suddenly look the most vulnerable of them following four defeats in five league games and with continuing uncertainty about whether Arsene Wenger will still be their manager next season.

“It was hard. In the end we were better and deserved to win”, Pochettino said.

Both sides then missed gilt-edged chances to win the game, with Aguero slipping when he looked odds on to score.

The victory by Spurs ensured that Chelsea’s lead at the summit of the EPL table is back to 10 points.

Former Manchester City player and Liverpool captain for the day, James Milner, was up for the battle from kick-off as his tussle with Raheem Sterling began right away.

It was a game that should have ended 4-4, but instead Manchester City and Liverpool could only muster up a goal each as the two sides shared the spoils in the English Premier League on Sunday. Maybe it’s OK, but I’m not happy in this moment.