'Ah, s***!' - Guardiola on Liverpool's 'terrible challenge' to Man City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola turned the air blue when title rivals Liverpool scored a dramatic late winner against Tottenham.

Pep Guardiola admitted he cursed Liverpool's dramatic late winner against Tottenham but is relishing the "terrible challenge" of an epic Premier League title race.

Jurgen Klopp's side edged back in front of City at the top of the table on Sunday when Toby Alderweireld's 90th-minute own goal sealed a nervy 2-1 win over Spurs at Anfield.

City can regain a one-point advantage if they win their game in hand against Cardiff City on Wednesday, after which both teams will have six top-flight matches remaining.

"When you see them [score], you say, 'Ah, s***!' but after five or 10 minutes [you think], 'Nice'," Guardiola chuckled at a pre-match news conference.

"It's a terrible challenge but nobody said it would be easy. Nobody. I knew it, we know it. It's a better challenge.

"It will be amazing what we are going to live against an amazing team, fighting against them."

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City will once again be a game in arrears after it tackles Brighton and Hove Albion in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday, while Liverpool travels to Southampton in the Premier League a day prior.

Next week brings the first leg of an all-English Champions League quarter-final against Tottenham and Guardiola believes his EFL Cup winners must embrace the experience of chasing an unprecedented quadruple.

"It's amazing to live this opportunity and be there – to beat Cardiff as a main target to be back on the top of the league with six games to go," he said.

"Then after [to] go to Wembley again, to achieve the one final I never played in my life – the oldest trophy ever. And after that the Champions League.

"We passed tough moments in the season to live tough moments and we are fortunate to live it."