Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insists Manchester City are the "best team in the world".
But ahead of Sunday's showdown, Klopp offered real hope to Kop fans by saying it is possible to achieve perfection without breaking the bank.
Are we capable of beating the best team in the world? Yes we are," he said. "If you win against the best team in the world, then it makes you the best team in the world.
But I think on a normal day City are still a step ahead. That is how it is. I don't want to make us smaller than we are because we are incredible at times.
But we still have a lot of scope for improvement. It is not too important what you are in this moment; what's important is what you can be in the future.
"But you have to use everything. We all ask for that and it is necessary. Keep up a performance level and then we make the next step. That is what we do in life and in football.
It doesn't make us smaller, we still want to beat Man City."
