Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola:

It would be difficult for Manchester City to reel in Liverpool if they did not win their English Premier League encounter on Thursday, midfielder Bernardo Silva has said.

Third-placed Manchester City host Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium with the visitors top of the league on 54 points from 20 games.

They are seven points ahead of Pep Guardiola’s side, who are one point behind second-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

“We know the pressure is a little bit more on us,” Silva told reporters. “Because if we don’t win, it will be very difficult to go after them.

“We have to think that we have to win every game possible to try to reach them, to close the gap a little bit and that’s what we’ll try to do in the next game.

“We know we are seven points behind and if we win it will be only four. Seven or four is very different, but we’ll put some pressure into them.”

Liverpool are unbeaten in the league and also hold the best defensive record having conceded only eight goals.

“They’ve had a lot of clean sheets. An impressive defence,” Silva added before also recognising their opponents’ strength across the field.

“The front three, everyone knows how good they are. They work a lot. The midfielders they work a lot, they press a lot.

“This season they’ve been doing very well in the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. So, it’s two very good teams, and we’ll try to win the game.”