Alexis Mac Allister has revealed what caused the fight between Pep Guardiola and Darwin Nunez last week.

Mac Allister explained that Nunez, a Liverpool teammate, had responded swiftly and rashly to a criticism made by Guardiola during the team’s tense match last weekend. Nunez reacted violently and made a move toward Guardiola before being stopped by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

“I don’t know if it was a corner or a cross that [Erling] Haaland headed and the ball went past the goal next to the post,” Mac Allister said of the incident. Pep turned around and began to say something about how fortunate we are.

“The ball is crossed into the middle, and [Luiz] Diaz wants to head it, but they save it.” So Darwin says [Guardiola], “Now you are the lucky ones.”

“I was laughing as well. I wouldn’t laugh like that if I knew how serious it was. But nothing made me chuckle as hard as Darwin being enraged so rapidly.”

The little incident was a reflection of the anxiety that surrounded City’s match against Liverpool last Saturday. Nunez, who was prone to losing his temper from time to time, seemed to let the occasion get to him and was perhaps lucky to be stopped by Klopp. On more than one occasion, the emotions in the top-of-the-table fight threatened to overflow.

Liverpool welcome Fulham at Anfield on Sunday, before Guardiola’s City face an out-of-form Spurs, as both clubs attempt to respond to Arsenal’s win over Wolves yesterday.