Pepe on City, Hart and Rodgers

The stopper explains why City are the team to beat this season, talks of his admiration for Joe Hart and reveals why he is more involved in games under Rodgers.

Pepe, you had a good win at Hearts and now you face Manchester City in what I guess is one of the toughest games of the season, isn't it?

We wanted to get our job done at Hearts first and we did pretty well. It was a tough day at the office but we got our job done to take them back to Anfield next week. Now it's Manchester City and they are probably our toughest opponents right now. It's only early days in the season but clearly they are favourites once again to win the title, so it's going to be a tough, tough game.

You played them four times last season including the League Cup semi-final - what did you learn about them during those games?

That they can punish you. They are always there, ready to punish any mistakes you make and we have to make sure we don't make mistakes very often because they have players who can punish you badly. We have to get our tempo going and dictate the tempo of the game ourselves.

Does it matter when you play these sides? Is there any advantage in playing them early on in the season?

No, not really. It doesn't make any difference to me. You have to play these teams sooner or later. It is good to play them now in the sense that it is our first league game at Anfield for our fans so that means an extra motivation for us.

Sergio Aguero will miss the game through injury but they still have the likes of Tevez, Balotelli and Dzeko. Do you look forward to playing against strikers like that?

They can play two teams, basically. The squad cost so many millions and they have some great individual players, but as a group they have quality. It's not just the strikers - they have people like Silva, Yaya Toure, Hart and Kompany. They are a very strong team and we have to be ready.

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What about their goalkeeper Joe Hart - how highly do you rate him?

One of the best - if not the best - at the moment. He's had a great last two seasons or so and last season he was man of the match at Anfield and saved them.

Do you think it's fair to say in recent times Liverpool have raised their game against the so-called bigger teams?

It has been the case, yes, and we have to keep that going. We all know how important and big a game it is for the fans. As a player you don't need any extra motivation because it's Manchester City, they are the champions and that says it all, so this can be a good afternoon for us.

Do you think it's still possible for clubs to compete against City when they have so much money to buy virtually any player in the world?

Over the season I don't think we are at that level but over two games we are up to it and we'll see how it goes. It's difficult to compete against the likes of Man United, Man City or even Chelsea now during the season, but we are in a project to do it. We have a long-term project and we are just building up from the beginning.

What about the changes under Brendan Rodgers then. How are you finding it under a different manager and set-up at Liverpool?

Well we are just going little by little, step by step, and we are picking up the ideas from the manager how he wants us to play, which for me is the way I understand to play football, so it's good for me. I'm more involved in the game now and I like it. The style of play is important for any team and for what we are trying to achieve.

You get a lot more touches in the games, there is a lot more emphasis for you to play out from the back and I guess that suits your game, doesn't it?

Yes and it has been the case in the last three or four games. We wanted to keep the ball, keep the possession and make sure we keep making the runs, so it's important for me to be involved and be there to support the centre-backs and the full-backs if it's needed. I'm happy.

Do players care about a style of play or do you just care about results?

I became a footballer because I wanted to win, and win trophies and games, but the closer you are to playing good football the closer you are to winning games - it's as simple as that.

What was the reaction after the West Brom because it was a bit of a shock, wasn't it?

It was and we didn't expect that to be easy. It was a bad day in the office, really. We were controlling the game until the 43rd minute when they scored a world-class goal. We started the second half in the right manner but the sending-off and the penalty just killed us.

It's great to be back at Anfield on Sunday, although the home form last season must have been a real frustration for you...

It's something we have to improve and we know that it cannot be the same this year. We have to make Anfield a fortress and our fans will play a big part in it.

What are your personal ambitions for the season ahead?

To keep winning games. Everybody wants to be in the top four but we have to stay calm and not set ourselves any targets yet. It's early days and we are still building a squad, a new team and we've got to be patient.

You turn 30 next week, how will you celebrate it?

With family and friends, that's all...and hopefully with a win!