Pep Guardiola hits back at sacking chants from Liverpool fans with 'respect' claim after Man City defeat

Pep Guardiola revealed he was surprised by the “sacked in the morning” chants by the Liverpool fans at Anfield.

The Manchester City boss is on the worst run of his managerial career, with his side failing to win any of their past seven matches and falling 11 points off the pace in the Premier League title race.

It is now four straight defeats in the league, with defeats on the road to Brighton, Bournemouth and Liverpool, to go with a 4-0 hammering on home soil against Tottenham.

After Mohamed Salah scored from the penalty spot late in the second-half to put Liverpool 2-0 up, the home fans serenaded Guardiola with chants over his future.

He responded by holding up six fingers to the Liverpool supporters, referencing the number of Premier League titles he has won, and did so again as he walked over to the away end after the match.

Asked about that interaction, Guardiola told Sky Sports: "All the stadiums want to sack me, it started at Brighton.

“Maybe they are right with the results we've been having. But I didn't expect that at Anfield. They didn't do it at 1-0, but at 2-0. Maybe they should have sung it in the past, not now. Now it’s taking advantage.

“I didn't expect it from the people from Liverpool but it's fine, it's part of the game, and I understand completely. We've had incredible battles together. I have a respect for them."

City now host Nottingham Forest in midweek before travelling to face Crystal Palace next weekend. They then face another tough run of fixtures, taking on Juventus away from home in the Champions League and then going up against Manchester United and Aston Villa.

Guardiola recently signed a two-year contract extension and insisted he has “no doubt” the players remain motivated to turn their current form around.

“Three-to-four months ago we won Premier League, FA Cup semi-final and Champions League quarter-final,” Guardiola said.

"It wasn't a century ago, it was close. The situation from the beginning [of this season] was difficult for many reasons.

"I know the players want to do it for the club and me - there's no doubt about that. You have to turn it around and win games. The target is to try win the next game and go step-by-step."