Dias & Haaland counter Trent who saying trophies matter more to Reds' supporters

Ruben Dias has become the latest Manchester City player to hit back at Trent Alexander-Arnold’s comment that Liverpool's success under Jurgen Klopp ‘means more’.

Alexander-Arnold made the inflammatory remark ahead of crunch match between the two sides at Anfield on Sunday, which could prove pivotal in the Premier League title race.

The Liverpool star appeared to infer that City have bought their way to 14 major trophies with Pep Guardiola as manager.

Dias has responded to Alexander-Arnold's suggestion by insisting he would only be able to know the emotions of Man City players and fans to their Treble success 'when you actually do it.'

'We've won a lot in this club, especially last year with the Treble. I think it's pretty certain between us, between our fans, how much it meant to all of us,' Dias told BBC Radio Manchester.

'At the end of the day you can only have certain emotions if you actually win stuff. A Treble is a feeling you can only know how it feels when you actually do it.

'I think in a club like Man City and my previous club [Benfica] our greatness will be shown in a way that these comments don't affect us.

'We know what we've done, we know what we've conquered, we know what we're going for in what's to come. We don't do it for anyone else, we do it for ourselves.

'Other people's success is deserved for their own achievements. What we focus on is ourselves and that's the way to move forward and that's the way to be big, a big club.

'Not trying to comment on other people's success and trying to make it bigger or smaller depending on how convenient it is for you.'

In an interview with FourFourTwo, Alexander-Arnold – who has six career honours – had suggested their individual pieces of silverware have more value.

‘Looking back on this era, although they've (City) won more titles than us and have probably been more successful, our trophies will mean more to us and our fanbase because of the situations at both clubs financially,’ the defender said.

‘How both clubs have built their teams and the manner in which we've done it, probably means more to our fans. t’s tough. We’re up against a machine that’s built to win – that’s the simplest way to describe City and their organisation.’

The theme of Alexander-Arnold’s argument is similar to intermittent remarks made by Klopp throughout his nine years in charge.

Liverpool’s marketing mantra of ‘this means more’ has been running for years and is splashed across the Anfield tunnel.

City remain in all three major competitions after progressing into the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday night. Liverpool, who have already lifted the Carabao Cup this season, are still in the hunt for four trophies.

Dias is the second Man City player to publicly respond to Alexander-Arnold's remarks, after Erling Haaland gave a sarcastic reply to the Liverpool star.

‘If he wants to say that, OK,' Haaland told Sky Sports.

'I’ve been here one year and I’ve won the Treble and it was quite a nice feeling. I don’t think he knows exactly this feeling.'

The war of words has ramped up the rivalry between the two sides further ahead of Sunday's clash.

Only a point separates them in the title race and for what could be a final meeting between Klopp and Guardiola before the German departs in the summer.