THE HEAT’S ON YOU KLOPP

Pep warns Kop boss the pressure will now build as it’s so tough to lead from the front

PEP GUARDIOLA last night turned up the heat on Liverpool by issuing a title warning to Jurgen Klopp.

The Manchester City manager insists it is hard to deal with the extra pressure when everyone expects you to win after the Reds went

six points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Anfield boss Klopp now finds himself in pole position in the title race after Mo Salah (top) scored and inspired Liverpool to a 4-0 hammering of Newcastle on Boxing Day.

But Guardiola began the mind games by claiming it can be tough not to lose focus.

The Spaniard said: “From January, February last season, people said, ‘The Premier League is over’. To live with that is not easy.

“One month ago, people talked about the match against Liverpool and before then we had three or four games.

“In football you are able to win a lot of games and you are able to lose a lot of games.

“When I was at Barcelona for one period I lost four games in a row.”

The Etihad club have suffered back-to-back defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester – thanks to a spectacular Boxing Day strike from Foxes star Ricardo Pereira (above) – as the wheels appear to have come off their attempts to retain their title.

But Guardiola warned his players to forget about chasing down Liverpool as they must start again by winning at Southampton on Sunday.

And he insisted they can not afford another slip-up.

Guardiola added: “The less important issue is Liverpool, we have to think about Southampton.

“I don’t forget who we are, how good a team we are, how exceptional these lads I have in the locker room are.

“The reality is that we have lost three in four games and the last two.

“If you want to be real contenders you have to win again. If you don’t, it will not be possible.”