Liverpool vs Man City one of the games you want to play in – De Bruyne

The top two sides in the Premier League meet at Anfield on Sunday in what is likely to be a crunch clash in terms of the destination of the title

Kevin De Bruyne says he cannot wait to step into the red-hot atmosphere of Anfield for Manchester City’s crunch clash with Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are six points clear at the top of the Premier League with the chance to extend their advantage to an even more imposing lead with a victory in Sunday’s huge game.

Liverpool fans are sure to crank up the volume as they bid to win their first ever Premier League crown and end a 30-year wait for a top-flight title.

City have won just once at Anfield in the Premier League era, but De Bruyne insists top players enjoy the test of the big occasion. 

“The big games are the ones you want to play, and if you want to compete for titles you have to be the best,” he said.

“The media will make a lot of it, and people have been talking about it for the whole week, even before the Champions League, but we just do our job, keep calm and prepare ourselves.

“I prefer to play in [a big atmosphere] than when there is nobody. Professionals want t play in front of 50, 60, 70, 80 thousand people and it makes it worthwhile.

“You train all your life to get to the big stages. I want to compete for titles and to be the best, and to do that you have to win against the best.”

A defeat would see City fall nine points behind their rivals, who have only failed to win on one occasion all season on the back of a campaign when they suffered just one loss – at the Etihad Stadium.

But De Bruyne insists it is too early to worry about chasing down their rivals, with Liverpool still top of the table irrespective of the result.

“Obviously it’s a big gap but four weeks ago people were saying it was Liverpool’s to lose,” the Belgium midfielder added.

“I’m not keeping track of what people say, we play so many games. We want to be ahead, but we’ve lost points.

“People will talk about it whether we win, lose or draw, it’s for them to say what they want.”

The defending champions head to Liverpool on the back of a 1-1 draw in Atalanta when they finished with 10 men and Kyle Walker in goal after Ederson picked up an injury and back-up goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was sent off.

But De Bruyne says they will move on from that match and prepare for their top-of-the-table clash in the same way they get ready for every game.

“It’s a game like another,” he said. “We know it’s a big game – Liverpool are ahead, and we have to go back, recover and be ready for next Sunday.”