After Jurgen Klopp responded to Pep Guardiola's provocative comments about Liverpool's lack of success in England over the past 30 years, the Spaniard has explained why he said what he said.
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At the weekend, the Manchester City boss seemed to unleash on rivals Liverpool as he pointed out that the Reds have claimed just a single league title over the past three decades.
Klopp then reacted to his colleague's remarks by suggesting that Guardiola might have been in a difficult place after the Citizens' shock elimination from the UEFA Champions League last week, and that he did not agree that everyone in England is supporting Liverpool in the title race.
In his most recent interview, Guardiola elaborated further on what his intentions were when making those initial comments.
"I saw a documentary about Liverpool from Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, the history in the Champions League," he told Sky Sports.
"When you see the documentary, you understand completely what they have done in world football and in this country.
"People follow Liverpool more than us and in the media as well, this is obvious. I'm not saying we are better or worse than the other clubs. All I say – and my quote is to defend my players – is that everything today in world football starts and ends in the Champions League.
"And the Champions League is massively important, it's the dream for us. We have not reached it, next season we will try, with me, without me, with these players, with players in the future.
"It looks like it's just the Champions League, Liverpool have many more leagues than us, before in the eighties and seventies they won a lot. But in the Premier League, in the last 30 years, they have just one. That's why I want to give credit to my players, not to underestimate Liverpool, they could have won the last three or four that we have won because the margin was incredibly tight.
"But it shows how difficult the Premier League is – it looks like the Premier League doesn't matter, because it's just the Champions League. But the Premier is so important."
Liverpool and City are currently tied on 86 points at the top of the Premier League, although the Manchester-based club has a game – a clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday night – in hand over their fierce title rivals.
Click through the gallery below to see the 10 most expensive signings made at City since their 2008 takeover, prior Erling Haaland's arrival:
