'It is better to win trophies, always' – Guardiola responds to Slot's style

Pep Guardiola has rebuffed Arne Slot's claim that it is more important for Liverpool to play entertaining football than win trophies, saying managers always prioritise winning.

Manchester City visit Anfield to face their old rivals in Sunday's headline Premier League fixture, and with Arsenal boasting a six-point lead in the title race, Guardiola's men have little margin for error.

At the start of the season, Liverpool would have expected to be squarely in contention to retain their crown, but they are instead languishing in sixth place, 14 points off top spot.

However, earlier this week, their head coach Slot made headlines by suggesting he would rather see Liverpool play good football than lead them to more trophy wins.

Guardiola has combined the two throughout his career, with his proactive, possession-based style helping City lift six Premier League titles, four domestic cups and a first Champions League title in the last decade.

But when asked whether he agreed with Slot at Friday's pre-match press conference, he said: "If you want to be a manager it is better to win trophies, always. 

"You do not always have the chance to play nice football. I think everything is related, because as a manager when you win you almost always play well.

"You want your players to win it in the best way for the players you have, to play the way that, in your soul, you believe in. I do think this is the most important thing."

The Opta supercomputer currently gives City a mere 5.7% chance of winning their seventh Premier League title under Guardiola, with 91.2% of season simulations seeing Arsenal lift the trophy.

Aside from when he took a year-long sabbatical after leaving Barcelona in 2012, Guardiola has never endured back-to-back seasons without a league title in his career.

Asked if winning the title was getting tougher every year, Guardiola said: "Every season it is getting more difficult, but I think not just for us, for all the teams."

But while his team may not have shown their best level in recent weeks, winning just one of six Premier League games in 2026 (four draws, one loss), Guardiola is confident they are making progress.  

"Are we at the top, top, top level? Not yet," he said. "We are improving in moments, we just need some more consistency, then we will be there.

"So there are 14 games left, in the Premier League, this is an eternity. In my experience, it's a lot and anything can happen.

"Last season in the Premier League we were miles away from Liverpool, so let's see if we will be there."