Man City star tells commentator the team he fears more than Arsenal and Liverpool

Manchester City have shared intense battles with a number of domestic and European rivals – but defender Josko Gvardiol appears to fear one club more than any other.

For several years Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool were Man City’s biggest rival in the Premier League, challenging the Sky Blues for the top crown between 2018 and 2022.

Liverpool got the better of City in 2019-20 but Pep Guardiola’s side lifted three Premier League trophies during that period, establishing themselves as the dominant force in English football.

Arsenal have emerged as Manchester City’s biggest threat over the past two seasons, finishing five points behind the champions in 2022-23 and just two points last season.

Despite pressure from Arsenal and Liverpool, Man City’s toughest opponent in recent years has been Serie A giants Inter Milan, according to an Italian football commentator who recently bumped into Etihad star Gvardiol.

City began their 2024-25 Champions League campaign against Inter last week and drew a blank in a closely-fought goalless draw.

The only other time the two teams have met was in the 2023 Champions League final when Rodri scored a second-half winner to ensure Manchester City lifted the coveted trophy at Inter Milan’s expense.

Inter are currently just sixth in Serie A but clearly worried Man City at the Etihad, so much so that Gvardiol recently told a commentator that he saw them as the club’s toughest opponent.

‘I met Josko Gvardiol in a restaurant and he told me: “No team in the Premier League has ever faced us the way Inter did”,’ Riccardo Trevisani told Cronache di Spogliatoio.

‘Inter came out of Manchester with a sense of boldness that killed them off. If you add up psyche and physique, Inter were not in the best condition.

‘And even Man City struggled to put in two level performances, by the 97th minute they were down.’

Inter Milan suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat to arch-rivals AC Milan at the San Siro on Sunday, the same day Manchester City scored a 98th-minute equaliser to deny Arsenal a famous win at the Etihad.

Following the heated and controversial Premier League clash, several Man City players took swipes at Arsenal’s tactics and accused them of employing ‘dark arts’.

‘There was only one team that came to play football,’ Bernardo Silva told TNT Sports Brazil.

‘The other came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee, unfortunately. I’m glad we always enter the pitch to try to win every match.’

City and England defender John Stones added: ‘They slow the game down. They get the keeper on the floor so they can get some information on to the pitch.

‘We had to control our emotions during those tough times. I wouldn’t say they have mastered it but they have done it for a few years now so we knew to expect that.

‘You can call it clever or dirty, whichever way you want to put it, but they break up the game which upsets the rhythm. They use it to their advantage and we dealt with it very well.’

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