Pep Guardiola sarcastically ridiculed Zlatan Ibrahimovic for claiming that the Manchester City manager's ego will hamper Erling Haaland's development.
City are leaving it late before making a decision on whether their 22-goal striker is fit enough to face Fulham on Saturday following a foot injury.
Ibrahimovic - whose relationship with Guardiola is tempestuous after an unsuccessful two-year spell at Barcelona from 2009 - claimed this week that the Catalan could thwart Haaland from reaching his full potential.
'Is Guardiola able to improve him? That depends on the ego that Guardiola has,' Ibrahimovic said. 'If he allows himself to be bigger than Haaland or not. He didn't allow me or the others to be as big.'
Guardiola could not resist biting back yesterday. 'He is right, he is completely right - in this club, in this team, my ego is beyond every other person,' Guardiola said.
'I don't like it when Erling scores three goals, and all the highlights are for him. I am so jealous! Honestly, so jealous!
'I said: "Erling, please no more goals, otherwise the Sun and Daily Mail won't talk about me."'
Referencing Ibrahimovic's 2011 autobiography, which was scathing of Guardiola, the City boss added: 'He knows me perfectly. He can write another book. My ego is (whoosh).'
City can go top with victory on Saturday and Guardiola - who insisted that they would not do business in January - listed no fewer than seven title contenders, including Newcastle United.
'I would say Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Tottenham, (Manchester) United and Liverpool,' Guardiola said. 'Liverpool have the same manager and squad who were able make 18 victories in a row in the past so why are they not able to do it again?
'Newcastle are not playing in Europe and when this happens that's a big advantage when you arrive in the last months with energy.
'They have a good manager, top class players. The way they make the intensity without the ball is so impressive, the press high and they go with real rhythm. I imagine they are going to stay there for a long time.'