Analysing Liverpool and Manchester City’s newfound rivalry

The Premier League is often considered the best division in the entirety of world football.

The competitive nature of the league and the mass number of rivalries in the English top flight play a huge role in its popularity. 

The battles between London sides Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, the heated Manchester derby and the fiery Merseyside derby are amongst the best in the Premier League. 

However, a new rivalry that’s risen to the fore in more recent times is that of Manchester City and Liverpool. 

The intensity of the matches between these two has grown in the last five or six years, as Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have fought hard over the Premier League title.

At this stage of the 2023-24 season, both sides are leading the title race, and their upcoming match at the Etihad Stadium on November 25 could give them the confidence to kick on and gain something of an edge.

It’s Guardiola’s current table-toppers who are the favourites in the Man City v Liverpool odds, however, and they will be hoping for a repeat of last season’s encounter in Manchester as they thrashed the Reds 4-1. 

With plenty of anticipation in the build-up to kick-off, let’s take a look at some of the roots of this newfound rivalry that’s already climbed up the ranks as one of the best in the Premier League. 

2018-19: One point decides the title

Having finished a rather distant third in his first season in charge in 2016-17, Guardiola stamped his authority with a convincing title success the following campaign — finishing 19 points clear of local rivals Manchester United. 

That made them the heavy favourites to defend their title in the football betting odds. However, Liverpool made them work a lot harder in the 2018-19 campaign, and Man City were ultimately crowned champions by just a solitary point. 

John Stones’ goal-line clearance in the 2-1 win over Liverpool, stopping the ball just 11mm from crossing the line, ultimately broke the hearts of the Reds fans. 

2019-20: Liverpool’s first title win in three decades

After being denied by that single point the season prior, Liverpool appeared to be a team on a mission to win the title in the 2019-20 campaign. 

Despite many expecting another close title race, the Reds had a nine-point advantage at the top of the table by November — and they were 25 points clear of Man City when the league was ground to a halt in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

That threatened to derail Liverpool’s title hopes. But the Premier League ultimately restarted three months later, and Klopp’s men won their first title in 30 years by 18 points. 

2021-22: Liverpool denied by a point again

Liverpool were lacklustre on their title defence in the 2020-21 season, finishing back in third and 20 points behind winners Manchester City. 

It looked like there wasn’t going to be much of a title race in 2021-22 either, as Guardiola’s side raced into a 13-point lead thanks to a run of 12-straight wins. 

However, Liverpool then went on a streak of 10 successive victories to cut the gap to just one point — and it went all the way to the final day of the season. 

Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa went 2-0 in front against Man City, and it looked like a Liverpool win over Wolves would be enough. But City netted three times in the last 15 minutes to win 3-2 and secure the title. 

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The pair also clashed in the Champions League in 2017-18, with Liverpool famously winning 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.