City goalkeeper Ortega brands Liverpool ‘probably not the best part in the UK’

Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega has described Liverpool as 'probably not the best part of Britain' after his side succumbed to an embarrassing 2-0 defeat at Anfield on Sunday.

The German shot-stopper was a surprise inclusion in Pep Guardiola's starting line-up for the crunch match. He replaced the stalwart Ederson between the posts as the side looked to put an end to their atrocious run of form.

But City were beaten by Arne Slot's men in the Premier League match, with Ortega having to pick the ball out of the net in each half, first after Cody Gakpo's opener and later after Mohamed Salah smashed home a penalty.

The result means the Cityzens have gone seven games without a win, the longest run without wins in Guardiola's managerial career.

It could have been worse for the away side without Ortega's sharp reflexes and Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane described the keeper as 'world-class' after the 32-year-old made a fingertip save to deflect Virgil van Dijk's opening header aim at the pole. period.

After the match, Ortega gave his reaction in a remarkable interview to the shouts of 'you will be fired tomorrow morning' directed at Guardiola by home fans.

He said: 'Someone told me earlier that this area is [Liverpool] is probably not the best part in Britain. I think the manager has responded very well.”

The rivalry between the two sides has been one of the most prominent in football in recent years, with the teams sharing the last seven titles.

Furious encounters between City boss Guardiola and former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp often hit the headlines as the pair battled for glory in the Premier League.

At times the rivals also clashed off the pitch, with both groups of fans trading punches on Wembley Way ahead of the Reds' dramatic 3-2 win in the 2022 FA Cup semi-final.

On that occasion, police were forced to intervene as violent scenes continued in the build-up to kick-off.

Three years earlier, supporters clashed on the London Underground before the sides faced off in the Community Shield.

Punches were thrown and fans were filmed kicking each other, causing some to fall to the ground.

Liverpool's win on Sunday looks set to intensify the rivalry on the pitch as the Reds' confident performance left the champions with a mountain to climb to win a fifth straight title.

The home side dominated the opening period at Anfield against City, who still looked shell-shocked after their midweek capitulation against Feyenoord in the Champions League.

And Liverpool's superiority paid off inside twelve minutes when Gakpo turned in a brilliant cross from Salah to send the Reds fans into an uproar.

City remain a shadow of their former selves and did not attempt their first shot until the 39th minute, but emerged as a more energetic team for the second period – perhaps after some half-time fireworks from Guardiola.

However, they still failed to register a single effort on target, and when Ortega brought Luis Diaz into the penalty area, a calm penalty from Salah left the champions staring down the barrel of a fourth straight Premier League defeat and the title eludes them. .