Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez admits the banter with good friend Javier Mascherano intensified as Liverpool's title challenge gathered pace.

He told the United Review: "We do have the odd joke between us but we try not to talk about it too much. It's not like he phones me after Liverpool play to tell me to watch out because they are catching us! We have a lot of respect for each other and each other's teams.

"Having said that, I'm very confident we'll win the league this season."