Manchester City’s players stand to share a bonus pool of more than £15 million if they win an unprecedented domestic treble as Pep Guardiola admitted beating a Liverpool side he ranks as one of the best two sides he has faced to the title would be his most satisfying managerial achievement.

Victory over Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium on Monday night would move City back to the top of the Premier League table, a point above Liverpool, and leave City needing to match their rival’s result on the final day to guarantee becoming the first club to retain the title for a decade.

With the Carabao Cup already under lock and key, City will become the first club in English football history to win all three leading domestic competitions should they clinch the title on Sunday and then beat Watford in the FA Cup final at Wembley six days later.

And the prospect of making history would see Guardiola’s squad netting a huge windfall in bonuses. City’s players have clauses written into their heavily incentivised contracts guaranteeing them different bonuses for each competition they win.

Elimination from the Champions League last month meant players missed out on bonuses worth up to £1 million each for European Cup success but they are still in line for bumper pay days if they complete a domestic treble.