Kevin De Bruyne warns Man City mates about the "dangerous" backlash from Liverpool.
Liverpool has had a difficult start to the season, falling 13 points behind Manchester City, but Kevin De Bruyne knows better than to dismiss the Reds.
Kevin De Bruyne has warned his Manchester City teammates to expect a backlash from Liverpool.
Despite being 13 points ahead of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, City's brilliant Belgian midfielder insists Pep Guardiola's champions still regard the Merseysiders as the team to beat. De Bruyne was blown away by Liverpool's seven-goal thrashing of Rangers in the Champions League in midweek.
"They (Liverpool) are a brilliant team with the ability to hurt you at any time during a game," he said. On Wednesday, they won 7-1 away from home at Rangers in a very tough competition, demonstrating how dangerous they are.
"When you play top players, they are always a threat. But I'm sure they feel the same way about us. They've had a few injuries and some tough results this season, but it'll be a tough and intense game on Sunday, as it always is against them. We are very excited about it.
"Liverpool have a top side, and we have no doubt that Sunday will be a huge test for us." True, they haven't quite reached the same level as previous seasons, but they are extremely dangerous and have a lot of talent all over the field. We've had a great start to the season, so our focus is now on our performance and to try to keep our good form going.
"Anfield is always a difficult place to visit, but we've won there before and come close on numerous occasions."
If the champions avoid defeat, they will have only lost once in their last 38 Premier League games. "It clearly means we've been working hard, playing well, and winning games," De Bruyne added. Every week, that's all we want to do.
"If we remain doing just that, it means we'll be in a position to compete for titles at the end of the season." The standard in the Premier League is extremely high, and it is only getting higher with each passing season.
"It's as simple as that: if you drop your level and don't play to your best, you don't win games." We are proud of our consistency, but it takes a lot of hard work on the practice field every day to keep it up. I hope we can keep it going."
Pep Guardiola has strengthened his squad with the additions of Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Manuel Akanji, and Sergio Gomez. And De Bruyne believes it has played a significant role in City's strong start to the season.
"Competition for places is always a good thing in my opinion," he said. Every single member of our squad plays and trains at the highest level, which brings out the best in everyone, on and off the field.
"The dilemma is always being physically and mentally prepared for each game, which is something we all enjoy." We'll do what we always do: we'll concentrate on ourselves. To win in the Premier League, you must be at the top of your game, and Sunday will be no exception. In these types of games, you must be strong on defense and seize opportunities when they present themselves."
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