Jurgen Klopp makes Man City admission as Kevin De Bruyne gives striker thoughts

Here are your Manchester City headlines for Monday evening, March 7.

Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool would have been Premier League champions by February in recent years were it not for Manchester City, as he repaid a compliment from Pep Guardiola this weekend.

Liverpool moved back to within three points of City on Saturday with both teams level on points, but the Blues beat Manchester United to extend the gap again having played a game more. After that win, which was seen by many on Merseyside as a potential banana-skin for City, Guardiola opted to praise Liverpool when asked about the title race.

READ MORE: Klopp agrees with Guardiola

"I said many times, the biggest success for a manager is after winning three Premier Leagues in four years, we still run like we run and are there to win again," he said. "Normally you have bad thoughts and you are confused thinking you are like you are not. Still we are humble enough every single training and every single game, do it to be there. After you can win or lose.

"These guys are still there, if we can't do it at the end, it's because we have the toughest opponent I've faced in my 12, 13 years as a manager."

Pep Guardiola made it plain this week that Manchester City will be in hot pursuit of a striker when the summer transfer window opens. With the Blues smashing neighbours Manchester United to re-open their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League, with one foot in the Champions League quarter-final and already in the last eight of the FA Cup, adding another expensive player might seem like gilding the lily.

Both this season and last, when Sergio Aguero missed most of the campaign through injury, the Blues have made light of doing without a goalscoring striker, flying in