As Manchester City and Liverpool prepare to face each other this weekend in a top-of-the-table EPL clash, a war of words of broken out between Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and City’s Erling Haaland.

While it may not have been intended to get spicy, Alexander-Arnold suggested that Liverpool’s recent trophies mean more to the fans and players due to their lowlier financial status.

Interviewed in football magazine FourFourTwo he said: “It’s tough. We’re up against a machine that’s built to win — that’s the simplest way to describe City and their organisation.

“Looking back on this era, although they’ve won more titles than us and have probably been more successful, our trophies will mean more to us and our fanbase because of the situations at both clubs, financially.

“How both clubs have built their teams and the manner in which we’ve done it, probably means more to our fans,” he said.

these comments were picked up by Sky Sports who asked Haaland for his thoughts. The Norwegian, who bagged 52 goals last season as City won the treble, responded: “I’ve been here one year and won the treble and it was quite a nice feeling.

“I don’t think he knows this feeling, so that’s what I felt last season, and it was quite nice.”

Haaland’s comments were seized upon by football super-agent Fabrizio Romano who Tweeted them to his followers, immediately amplifying the situation.

Haaland continued by looking ahead to the weekend’s encounter, a game that is likely to have a massive bearing on the outcome of the title: “It’s going to be a great game.

“Liverpool are top of the league, they have been better than us this season, so we have to go there and be at our best.

“It’s going to be a special game and a really important game.”