Ilkay Gundogan has warned newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool that Manchester City know exactly where they have to improve next season.
Pep Guardiola's side host Liverpool at the Etihad on Thursday, live on Sky Sports Premier League, having relinquished their two-year reign at the summit with a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea last Thursday.
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City currently sit 23 points off Liverpool, having lost eight Premier League games this season - more than they lost in the previous two seasons combined.
And although Gundogan readily admits Jurgen Klopp's side are fully deserving of this season's crown, he knows exactly how City are going to bounce back.
"We know where we can improve next season to challenge for the title again," Gundogan exclusively told Sky Sports News.
"We won the title back-to-back which is always tough but the motivation for next season will be there to win it again.
"We dropped too many unnecessary points that we didn't last season and lost too many home games in comparison to when we were unbeatable.
"There were also a few individual mistakes so there is plenty of room for improvement and we'll start next season from zero again."
Carra: City can close gap to Liverpool
Jamie Carragher believes Manchester City will close the gap on newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool next season - but only if they get their recruitment right this summer.
"There's 23 points between the teams but I don't see the gap as being that big," Carragher told the Sky Sports Football Midweek Preview Podcast.
"There's no doubt that Liverpool have the edge, but I certainly don't think there will be that much between the teams next season.
"I think City will want to put a marker down and win the game. When City are at their best, they're almost unstoppable, but one of the few teams that can stop them are Liverpool, so I think it will be a brilliant game to watch.
"But I don't think there's too much between the teams. We've seen it this season, but I don't expect to see it next season because I think City are too good a team and Guardiola is too good a manager to have a gap like that between one of his teams and someone else's.
"I think a lot of it will [come down to] who City recruit. There's no doubt that City will do a lot more in the market than Liverpool will. I think if City recruit well, it will bridge that gap that we've seen this season and then it becomes about how Liverpool deal with that."
Klopp: City will have point to prove
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says Manchester City and Pep Guardiola will have a point to prove when the two teams meet at the Etihad on Thursday, live on Sky Sports.
The Reds could break a number of Premier League records between now and the end of the season, including the highest ever points total of 100 - set by City in the 2017-18 campaign.
When asked if Guardiola's side will be out to make a point at the Etihad, Klopp told Sky Sports News: "Yes, I probably would if it was the other way round!
"I think we had a similar situation a year or two ago when we beat City 4-3 and they were unbeaten until then.
"I don't think I mentioned for one second that we could have been first but we wanted to win that desperately, just to make sure even when they were 20 something points ahead we can still give them a proper game.
"I don't need a proper game to know that City can do that. I know that before but it will be difficult for both teams. It is a good game."