Pep Guardiola was brought to tears and admitted that he will miss his friend and rival Jurgen Klopp after his Liverpool exit.
The German boss led the Reds for the last time in their Premier League victory over Anfield, bringing an end to his nine-year stay on Merseyside.
Manchester City and Liverpool have forged a spectacular rivalry in that time with two clubs regularly battling it out for the Premier League title and major silverware at home and abroad.
City’s spending has been huge in comparison to Liverpool’s, with Guardiola’s side currently being investigated for 115 charges of breaching financial fair play, but that didn’t stop Klopp from paying tribute to his friend and rival.
Klopp said: “Everybody knows about the 115 charges, but I have no clue what that means. I only know the number.
“Whatever has happened at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola is the best manager in the world – and that is really important.
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“If you put any other manager in that club, they don’t win the league four times in a row. That’s down to him and his boys. Does that mean they can do what they want? No. But I don’t know what they did – if they did anything – and I’m not here to say they have.
“We will see. Of course, I would like to know (if City are guilty) one day. Everyone wants to know. But I will be somewhere else. The quality of Pep makes the difference so I don’t worry about these things. We will see. It’s not my problem and I am fine with what we have and what we’ve achieved.”
Being made aware of Klopp’s comments, Guardiola was overcome with emotion in his press conference.
“I will miss him a lot,” the Spaniard said. “Jurgen has been a really important part of my life. He brought me to another level as a manager. We respect each other incredibly.
“I have the feeling he will be back and thank you so much for his words but he knows that behind me there is a lot that this club provides me with, otherwise alone I can’t do it. I’m humble enough to understand that.
“He helps me with his team, he has been a huge competitor in my life. I didn’t discover the way I can punish them like I can find for other teams. With him it has been so difficult.
“I’m pretty sure Mikel [Arteta] will continue his legacy to drive us to another level. I wish him all the best and hope his final game was special, he deserved it.
“He made Liverpool recognised with his stamp, and the incredible pride of being a Liverpool fan. It’s not just about titles, there are personalities that when they arrive in one place they stay forever and Jurgen and Liverpool will be part of the level of Shankly and Paisley and these incredible legends.”
City made history by securing a fourth Premier League title in a row with a 3-1 win over West Ham being enough to clinch the crown, leaving Arsenal to wonder what might have been in second spot.
That title was Guardiola’s sixth Premier League, a trophy that will slot in alongside two FA Cups, four Carabao Cups and a Champions League in City’s bulging trophy cabinet.
There’s no doubting that the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss is one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever bosses, but with a contract that expires next summer there’s a feeling that he could follow Klopp in leaving the Premier League after ‘completing’ English football.
While Guardiola has confirmed that he’ll stay at Man City next season, he’s stopped short of offering any encouragement beyond that.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Guardiola said: “The reality is I am closer to leaving than staying.
“We have talked with the club – my feeling is that I want to stay now.
“I will stay next season and during the season we will talk. But eight or nine years – we will see. I didn’t expect to stay eight or nine years.
“I expected three, four or five but not much. I cannot believe it. It’s the Premier League. It’s the toughest one.”
He added: “I had that feeling last season [after we won the treble],” he said in his press conference. “We were in Istanbul and I said, ‘It’s over. What am I doing here? There is nothing left.’ But I have a contract. I am here and I am still enjoying some of the moments, sometimes tired but some of them I love.
“And after a few days, we start playing good, winning games, different players, and we start to think about how no one has done four in a row. Why not try it?
“But, next season, right now, I am not able to know what will be the motivation to do it. It is difficult sometimes to find it when everything is done.
“But I know that the players and myself will be there and think, why shouldn’t we win today? Why not? Why should we not work as much as possible to do what we have to do?
“And I know we are going to do it. I know.”
In response to Guardiola’s comments, Jamie Redknapp joked that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta would be sat in his office at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium willing the Man City boss to leave so that his side could win the title.
After finishing fifth in 2022, Arsenal came second last term with five points separating them and Man City.
With that gap reduced to just two this term, it’s clear to see that the north Londoners are getting closer and closer each year.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Arteta accepted that Arsenal may need to reach 100 points next term if they are to come out on top.
He explained: “I was there (at Man City) when we did 100 points so I know what it takes.
“I know what happened and this is the level. No one has to explain what the level is because I was there four years every day and I know what we have to do if we are going to reach there.
“Not only for one season, but for the rest, but we are on the right path, the right journey and to see the evolution so quickly happening, I haven’t seen it before.
“So, we’re on the right trajectory and now we need really to pull the teeth and bite into it because we really want more.”
Arteta added: “If we do what we have to do, we’re going to be closer and at the end we’ll win it.
“When? I don’t know. But if we keep knocking and being that close, in the end it will happen.”