Pep Guardiola has told his Manchester City players to be ‘brave’ as they bid to bounce back after a nightmare week.

Having lost 3-0 to Liverpool in their Champions League quarter-final first-leg tie last Wednesday, the Etihad outfit blew a two-goal lead – and the chance to clinch the Premier League title – with a 3-2 defeat to second-placed rivals Manchester United.

Guardiola was as stunned as his stars as City capitulated after being dominant. But he said they were ‘professionals’ and have to pick themselves up for the European return with Liverpool on Tuesday.

“We are going to try, if we are brave enough and focused to stand up again on Tuesday.

“I tell them we are going to try guys. I was a football player I know how hard it is how they feel. How uncomfortable it is. I just say like all of the season, I love and like to be with them. Nothing else.

“Of course you have bad moments, and in the last two games when we have bad moments, every time the opponent arrives they score a goal.  They shoot four times on target and score three goals. When this happens it is so complicated.

“This is tough mentally. We are a young team. A team to create and not to defend. After that we overcame situations and create chances. The last actions – good save from [David] De Gea and the last action it was unbelievable how we didn’t score the goal. We have the feeling we did absolutely everything. the game was good. But in the that level, in the first half when you have these chances, you have to score goals to finish the game.”

He added: “I am sorry for the fans, but I think they cannot have complaints about what we have done. When I analyse the game it was good. I cannot expect the opponent is not going to do anything.

“For the fans it is tough and maybe we are going to get more credit if we are able to win the Premier League to say how tough it is to win. In November, December everybody said the Premier League is done. But it was a tough, tough fight to keep going every weekend to be focused.”