Pep Guardiola sends title warning to Arsenal after hitting 1,000 games as manager in Man City-Liverpool clash

Pep Guardiola marked the 1,000-game milestone of his managerial career in emphatic fashion, overseeing Manchester City’s 3–0 win over Liverpool in the Premier League. After a dominant performance against the reigning champions, the Spanish manager issued a clear title message to league-leaders Arsenal.

For Matchday 11 of the 2025–26 Premier League, City hosted Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium in one of the weekend’s marquee fixtures. Led by another standout performance from Erling Haaland and goals from Nico González and Jérémy Doku, the Citizens delivered a dominant 3-0 victory that lifted them into second place.

Asked about the title race and the pursuit of Arsenal, Guardiola didn’t hold back in his post-match press conference. “When Arsenal were equalized against Sunderland at the end, I think Liverpool and us said ‘oh wow Arsenal dropped points finally and conceded two goals,'” Guardiola said, referencing the Gunners’ surprising 2–2 draw against the Black Cats.

He then emphasized the importance of focusing inward rather than scoreboard-watching: “But at the end we have to do it and I said to the players ‘don’t do it because yesterday Arsenal didn’t win. Do it because we believe in ourselves that we can play against the champions of England and show them we are ready to be there with them this season’. Today we proved it. We did it, specially in the first half.“

Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, celebrates his team’s first goal vs. Liverpool.

The win moved Manchester City to 22 points through 11 matches, four behind Arsenal, who remain on a strong run with just five goals conceded in the league. Their defensive solidity has made them a formidable target for Guardiola, who is determined to prevent his former assistant Mikel Arteta from claiming his first Premier League title as a manager.

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Guardiola and the 1,000-game milestone

Guardiola is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers in modern soccer, not only for his trophy cabinet, but for the tactical revolution he helped engineer. A product of Barcelona’s academy, he introduced his famed “tiki-taka” approach while coaching one of the most dominant teams ever, leading Barca to the historic “sextuple” in 2009.

From a longevity standpoint, Guardiola still trails several managerial giants. Currently ranked 119th all-time in total matches coached, he sits behind figures such as Jürgen Klopp (1,080 career games) and José Mourinho (1,207), with Sir Alex Ferguson sitting at the top with an astonishing 2,155 games and 50 trophies.

Yet in Premier League efficiency, Guardiola stands above them all. Ferguson recorded 528 wins, 168 draws, and 113 losses in 809 league matches for an average of 2.17 points per game. Guardiola, in 353 matches, has amassed 253 wins, 50 draws, and 50 defeats, an unmatched average of 2.29 points per game, the highest for any manager in Premier League history.

Pep Guardiola’s coach career breakdown