PEP GUARDIOLA admitted yesterday that Man City will have to survive some difficult moments to have any chance of beating Liverpool tomorrow — and proposed a presidential analogy for his club’s situation.

City host the champions and current Premier League leaders at home tomorrow.

The two sides are considered the main rivals for this season’s title, and Guardiola claims it will be good for his team to measure themselves against Jurgen Klopp’s men this early in the season.

Guardiola said: “When you play against teams like Liverpool you always have moments where you have to suffer. We know it. We have to do it and try to play to our strengths as much as possible.

“We know each other quite well. We have played many times. I don’t expect a game of 90 minutes where we will be there, or where they will be there for 90 minutes. There will be ups and downs.

“We have to be stable in the bad moments and, in the good moments, take our good chances and be clinical.

“It’s always nice to play against the strongest teams and last year they were stronger. They are an exceptional team, they have had the same manager for a long time and it is nice to face him all the time to improve our level.”

Defeat would leave City eight points behind Liverpool. But, while not disputing the game’s importance, Guardiola feels it is too early in the campaign to draw conclusions, whatever the outcome.

Guardiola, whose side would still have a game in hand on Liverpool in any case, made a topical reference to make his point.

He said: “Of course it is important, we cannot deny it, but it is just the seventh game. Like presidential elections all the votes must be counted, so there are a lot of points to play for.

“We know we have to do a good performance to beat them, we won and lost in the past. We are going to do our best to beat them.”