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- Jurgen Klopp recently suggested Man City had a ‘two-week’ break thanks to COVID-19

- Man City’s game against Everton scheduled for December 28 was postponed due to an outbreak of the virus

- During that time, the Citizens have gone on a frightening run which has seen them win 13 games in a row in all competitions

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on Friday, February 5 tore into his Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp after the Reds boss suggested the Citizens are benefiting from a ‘two-week break’ they enjoyed during the Christmas period.

Klopp was referring to the postponement of the Man City-Everton game, which was scheduled for December 28.

The game had to be rescheduled after five Man City players and a number of non-playing staff tested positive for COVID-19.

Pep vs Klopp: Guardiola hits out Liverpool boss for claiming City enjoyed ‘two-week break’
Jurgen Klopp in a recent press conference suggested Manchester City have had the edge in recent weeks because of the break they had between Dec 26 and January 3. Photo by Phil Noble
Source: Getty Images

As a result, City got some reprieve from the extremely busy festive period as they had an eight-day gap between their game against Newcastle United on December 26 and their trip to Chelsea on January 3.

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Angry Jurgen Klopp blames fatigue following Liverpool's stunning loss to Brighton at Anfield

City have since gone on a 13-game winning streak in all competitions including picking up 100% points during that period.

In the build up to their clash, Klopp was adamant Man City’s form was fully justified because they ‘had a break’. He said:

“We didn’t have a break. I think City had a two-week break for Covid reasons.”

In a scathing rejoinder, Guardiola hit out at Klopp as he claimed he didn’t know the German was “that type of manager”.

“He made a mistake. It was two months off, or three months off? No, (it was) four. Four months off.
“That’s why we are in top form right now. Jurgen has to see the calendar again. We had Covid, we have one week and we played with 14 players at Stamford Bridge,”
Guardiola went on to say, “I’m surprised. I thought Jurgen was not that type of manager, like other ones who are usually doing it. I didn’t expect that comment,”

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Mourinho set to sign former Chelsea striker following injury to Harry Kane

Guardiola and Klopp have treated fans to an entertaining rivalry involving Liverpool and Manchester City in recent years, although there has always been some form of mutual respect between the pair.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has hit out at referee Andre Marriner for awarding a penalty against his side which saw Chelsea claim all three points on Thursday night, January 4.

The former Chelsea boss criticised the official as his side now lose three straight games against the Blues. The defeat also means Spurs have also lost their last two home games.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Babajide Orevba avatar

Babajide Orevba (Sports Editor) Babajide Orevba is a FIFA and CAF-accredited Nigerian journalist, digital publishing expert, researcher, writer and TV analyst. He has covered several major football tournaments including FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, AFCON, CAF Competitions as well as grassroots competitions in Africa. Email: babajide.orevba@corp.legit.ng

Khadijah Thabit avatar

Khadijah Thabit (Copyeditor) Khadijah Thabit is an editor with over 3 years of experience editing and managing contents such as articles, blogs, newsletters and social leads. She has a BA in English and Literary Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Khadijah joined Legit.ng in September 2020 as a copyeditor and proofreader for the Human Interest, Current Affairs, Business, Sports and PR desks. As a grammar police, she develops her skills by reading novels and dictionaries. Email: khadeeejathabit@gmail.com