Goals from N'Golo Kante and David Luiz ended City's unbeaten run, with Liverpool's earlier win over Bournemouth meaning the Reds lead the way after 16 games.

But Guardiola was in bullish mood despite the defeat, insisting that it was always unlikely City would go all season without suffering a defeat.

"Everyone ask me about this, I said that it not going to happen," Guardiola said. "We're not here to be invincibles, or to be unbeaten, we're here to try to be champions. It doesn't matter.

"We want to make one point more than our opponents. Now, at the moment, Liverpool are better than us.

"We are in December, if you ask if Liverpool can win the Premier League, I would say yes. If you ask me if Tottenham, Arsenal or Chelsea can with the Premier League, I would say yes.

"There is not a sport in the world that one team or player wins everything.

"It's about how you lose, we played the way we want to play. After that, when the opponent is good we say congratulations."

Both Guardiola and Sarri lined up without recognised strikers in their starting XIs, with Hazard and Raheem Sterling deployed in false nine roles.

Guardiola, whose side dominated possession without offering the cutting edge required to make a breakthrough, joked that he and Sarri had agreed to play with identical systems.

"Yesterday I call Maurizio we decided to play the same way," the City manager said. "He tries to win, I try to win, when he wins I congratulate him, he congratulates me [if I win].

"He is exceptional, I admire him and he deserves all the credit."