With Liverpool travelling to the Etihad this weekend, I have decided to look back at some of the key clashes that have defined this intense rivalry in recent seasons.
The United-Arsenal grudge matches were bedrock events during the formative years of the Prem, capturing the intense passion that would make it the most popular league in world football. Over the last decade, the City-Liverpool rivalry became the de facto standard bearer of the league’s quality, with the Klopp and Guardiola feud propelling both clubs to insane heights. But which clashes stick out as truly memorable?
5. January 2018- Liverpool 4- Manchester City 3
This match was a harbinger of things to come, announcing to the world that Klopp was a serious threat to Guardiola’s dominance. Sure, City would go on to become centurions. But Liverpool inflicted City’s first defeat of the season in January, setting the tone for the years to follow. A swashbuckling Leroy Sane levelled matters after an early Oxlade-Chamberlain strike. But Liverpool ran rampant in the opening salvos of the 2nd half, with the much-lauded front-three of Mane, Salah and Firmino all getting on the scoresheet. Late strikes from Bernardo and Gundogan did little to sour the mood at Anfield. Klopp’s Reds dampened any ‘immortals’ talk, landing a psychological blow that would be felt for years to come.
4. April 2023- Manchester City 4- Liverpool 1
This was a massive result during City’s much-vaunted treble-winning campaign. Arsenal were flying at this point, and victory for the Citizens cut the Gunners’ lead down to just five points (sounds eerily familiar to this season). City played irresistible football that day, recovering from an early Salah goal to maul the Reds at the Etihad. Jack Grealish was probably never better in a sky-blue shirt, running Trent ragged all afternoon. Currently on loan at Everton, Grealish laid one on a plate for Alvarez before scoring one of his own in the 2nd half. This performance felt like the true catalyst to their era-defining season.
3. November 2019- Liverpool 3- Man City 1
Liverpool’s dominance of British football in the 70’s and 80’s made a 30-year title drought seem all but incomprehensible. But the Reds struggled in the early stages of the Premier League, throwing away several key opportunities while arch-rivals Man United usurped their domestic dominance. Jurgen Klopp’s side ran away with the title in 2019/2020, winning 20 of their first 21 matches (drawing the other). Their 3-1 rout of City essentially brought the title race to an end in November! The perennially underrated Fabinho gave the Reds the lead with a Gerrard-esque rocket, sending Guardiola and co into uproar about a penalty that wasn’t given a few seconds prior. Liverpool strolled to victory, with a late Silva consolation barely registering on the comeback Richter-scale. This was an emphatic win, underscoring Liverpool’s most dominant period over City during the Klopp regime.
2. January 2019- Manchester City 2- Liverpool 1
The 2018/2019 campaign probably best encapsulates this rivalry, with both clubs producing record-defying run-ins in a bid to win the title. City ultimately pipped Liverpool by one point, ending on 98 points to Liverpool’s 97 (still the highest points total for any Premier League runner-up). And that puts into perspective how vital this January result had been, with Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane scoring on either side of a Firmino equalizer. But the game was immortalized for an all-timer goal-line clearance by defender John Stones, who swept the ball to safety with a measly 1.12cm to spare (that’s how fine the lines were).
1. October 2021- Liverpool 2- Manchester City 2
This pulsating encounter represented everything great about this developing rivalry. All four goals were scored in the 2nd half, with Sadio Mane putting the Reds ahead in the 59th minute. Foden equalized with a fine strike before Mo Salah produced arguably his greatest piece of individual brilliance in a Liverpool shirt, jinking past a couple of despairing City defenders before smashing the ball past Ederson (Cancelo probably needed hypnosis to get through that). De Bruyne then equalized in the final ten minutes from outside the box. I remember watching that 2nd half and thinking this is as good as football gets. It was high-octane, high-quality football that wasn’t mired in the type of histrionic melodrama of El Clasico.
