Alexis Mac Allister has revealed what sparked Pep Guardiola and Darwin Nunez’s altercation last week.

Mac Allister revealed that Nunez, a Liverpool player, had reacted quickly and rashly to Guardiola’s criticism during the team’s stressful game last weekend. Nunez responded angrily and attempted to approach 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, but the ball went past the goal next to the post,” Mac Allister explained of the event. Pep turned around and started talking about how blessed we are.

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

“I, too, was giggling. If I understood how serious it was, I wouldn’t laugh like that. But nothing made me laugh as much as Darwin being so quickly enraged.”

The minor incident reflected the tension surrounding City’s match against Liverpool last Saturday. Nunez, who was prone to losing his cool on occasion, appeared to let the occasion get to him and was arguably fortunate to be stopped by Klopp. The emotions in the top-of-the-table battle threatened to explode on several occasions.

Liverpool host Fulham at Anfield on Sunday, before Guardiola’s City host an out-of-form Tottenham Hotspur in an attempt to reply to Arsenal’s triumph over Wolves the day before.