Pep Guardiola refused to entertain the idea that Liverpool's stuttering start to the season means they won't be tough opponents for Manchester City this weekend.
However, while Guardiola warned his players of the threat Liverpool possess, he also told them to put their entire focus on the midweek Champions League trip to Copenhagen before any thought of travelling to Anfield.
City go to Denmark on Monday, knowing a win on Tuesday will see them qualify for the last-16 of the Champions League with two games to spare. Guardiola often prioritises qualification for the knockout stages as soon as possible, and he struck a familiar tone when discussing the next two fixtures.
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Guardiola was speaking after City's 4-0 win over Southampton, and before Liverpool's 3-2 defeat by Arsenal on Sunday that saw the Gunners return to the top of the Premier League table and leave Jurgen Klopp's side in tenth - already 13 points behind City.
He said: "I don’t have any intention to think about Liverpool. I think about Copenhagen as I want to finish first in the group and we have to win there. We have to finish the qualification and meet the first target of this part of the season and when we come back from the World Cup we want to be there in the last 16.
"After that we have four days to prepare for Anfield, and it won’t be any surprise to tell you how fascinating, difficult and competitive that will be. The biggest test I would say we can face in England is going to happen next Sunday."
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