“Fired in the morning, you will be fired in the morning.”
Liverpool were closing in on a victory that would put them 11 points clear of title rivals Manchester City when chants echoed around Anfield in the 89th minute.
They were aimed at Pep Guardiola, the mastermind behind six Premier League titles since taking charge of City in 2016.
The City manager, standing in his technical area, responded with a smile and then took his hands out of his pockets to raise one hand and one finger to indicate the number of titles City have won under him.
“I didn’t expect this at Anfield,” Guardiola told Sky Sports afterwards when asked about the “morning dismissal” chants.
“I didn’t expect it from the Liverpool people, but it’s okay, it’s part of the game and I understand it perfectly.
“We’ve had incredible battles together. I have respect for them.”
City, who finish the weekend fifth in the table below Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Brighton, have lost their last four top-flight games for the first time since August 2008.
Furthermore, they have gone seven games without a win in all competitions, something unheard of under Guardiola, who has brought so much joy and success to City in the last eight years.
“All the stadiums want to say goodbye to me, it started in Brighton [on 9 November]”added the 53-year-old, who signed a new two-year contract extension last month.
“Maybe they’re right with the results we’ve been having.”
Guardiola has also won one Champions League, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup during his time at City.
BBC Radio 5 Live’s chief football correspondent John Murray, who was at Anfield, said Guardiola also made the number six gesture in front of City after the final whistle.
“Pep is in front of the City fans and once again he raises a hand and a finger,” Murray added.
“Those are the six titles he’s talking about. It’s like he’s saying, ‘Remember what we’ve done.'”
