City, who have a 16-point lead, can win the Premier League title with a victory over Jose Mourinho's side at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, but after their 3-0 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday, Guardiola said the players needed a lift.
Liverpool kept their push for a top-four finish in the Premier League on course as Emre Can thundered home a second-half winner to complete a hard-earned 2-1 comeback win over Burnley at a relieved Anfield on Sunday.
The last time the five times European champions reached this stage of Europe's elite club competition was in 2009 when they went out to Chelsea in a dramatic 7-5 aggregate defeat.
'His hold-up play is outstanding, he's got a wonderful touch for a big guy and you saw that this evening' 'It gives us a different dimension to our game, whilst looking to retain that philosophy to move the ball and get fluency'
Images from EPL matches played on Saturday.
'Both Joe and I have had words and figured things out and moved on. We are in a sport where emotions run high and I am man enough to admit when emotions got the better of me.'
Roma didn't expect that Salah and Liverpool would stand between them and a place in the Champions League final.
Winter returned to Anfield on Friday but while the temperature dropped, the standards of Juergen Klopp's side certainly did not as Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah both struck twice in a 5-0 thrashing of relegated Huddersfield Town.
Liverpool ensured it was an unhappy return for former manager Gerard Houllier with a comfortable 3-0 Premier League win over Aston Villa at Anfield on Monday.
Daniel Sturridge's third goal in as many matches gave Liverpool a 1-0 win over bitter rivals Manchester United in a feisty Premier League match at Anfield on Sunday.
A round-up of Saturday's matches in the English Premier League.
Klopp is understood to be open to the idea of a move, the reports said, adding that talks between Liverpool and his representatives were progressing well.
Sergio Aguero believes the 14-point gap between the defending champions and Premier League leaders Liverpool is 'too hard' to overturn
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Dismal domestic and Champions League campaigns have left Liverpool seeking Europa League salvation but they must first overturn a 1-0 semi-final first-leg deficit against Atletico Madrid on Thursday.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has joked that he might make a bid to sign Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard on loan when he leaves for the United States at the end of the season.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino punched the Anfield turf in frustration at the final whistle after his side drew 1-1 with Liverpool in a Premier League match full of thrilling, attacking action on Saturday.
Manager Juergen Klopp has denied that Liverpool are suffering from fatigue after last weekend's setback at Hull City, and urged fans to get behind the team when Tottenham Hotspur visit Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday.
Liverpool surrendered a two-goal lead as they were held to a 2-2 draw by third-tier Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday after second-half substitute Jason Cummins struck twice to inject some much-needed late magic into the competition. Earlier, Harry Maguire's thunderbolt for Manchester United started a goal rush at Tranmere where the Reds scored five times before halftime. Diogo Dalot, Jesse Lingard, Phil Jones, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood also scored.
Aguero's absence means a likely start for Brazilian Gabriel Jesus in attack.
Juergen Klopp named Philippe Coutinho as captain and the Brazilian curled a sublime effort into the top corner with the home side's first real attacking foray after just six minutes.
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has urged the Liverpool board to find a satisfactory solution with the supporters after concerns were raised about the club's ticket pricing structure at Anfield next season.
Manchester City have agreed a 49 million pounds deal to sign England winger Raheem Sterling from Premier League rivals Liverpool, British media reported on Sunday.
The following are talking points from the Premier League weekend:
Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry has been ruled out of Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Paris St Germain after testing positive for COVID-19 while midfielder Marc Roca will miss the game due to injury.
Images from Saturday's action in the English Premier League.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
European champions Liverpool made an emphatic start to the new Premier League season by scoring three times in the opening half an hour as they taught promoted Norwich City a harsh lesson with a 4-1 thrashing at Anfield on Friday.
English champions and runners-up since the league restarted in the 1946-47 season after World War Two:
Manchester United have signed Leicester City's England centre back Harry Maguire on a six-year contract, the Manchester club announced on Monday.
Liverpool were left frustrated by Championship side Blackburn Rovers who defended heroically to draw 0-0 at Anfield.
A stunning strike from 18-year-old Curtis Jones gave a youthful Liverpool a 1-0 win over Everton in their FA Cup
Liverpool's first loss of the season means they cannot finish the campaign unbeaten to match Arsenal's 'Invincibles' of 2003-04.
With 27 wins and 82 points under their belt after only one defeat all season, red-hot Liverpool set a record-breaking pace to leave teams behind them in their wake and are six points shy of ending a 30-year wait for the top-flight title.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Liverpool, inspired by two-goal Egyptian Mohamed Salah, took a big step towards the Champions League final with a 5-2 win over AS Roma in their semi-final, first leg at Anfield on Tuesday.
Manager Juergen Klopp has extended his contract with Liverpool, less than a year since joining the club, the English Premier League side announced on Friday.
'It wasn't just one save -- he had a lot of things to do and did it so coolly and calmly. Still he did it, incredible, unbelievable, never saw anything like it'
Images from Wednesday's action in the UEFA Champions League.
