I was actually thinking about this on Sunday in the lead-up to the game. We all know this anyway being impervious to the Scouse love-in endemic in the British football press, but the ‘Klopp is the only one keeping English football competitive’ claim really is a mystifying myth. We have been dire for ten years yet have finished above Liverpool as many times as they have above us in Klopp’s tenure. Regarding the City - Liverpool rivalry, here are some interesting statistics:
- Liverpool have never beaten City in the Premier League at the Etihad under Klopp (City record at home 4W:4D:0L)
- The aggregate score in these games is 20-7 (eight games)
- City have won by 3+ goals three times in this timeframe
- City have scored 4+ goals three times in this timeframe
- Mourinho and Solskjaer, two managers absolutely ridiculed by the British press and rival fans, have both won at the Etihad in this timeframe
- Ten Hag, in his first season as United manager, also had a City scalp under his belt
- All three of the aforementioned United managers have finished ahead of Klopp in the Premier League
Klopp’s record v City at Anfield is better but not by the margin pundits would have you believe:
- Liverpool have four wins in eight Premier League games v Guardiola at Anfield (Liverpool record v City at Anfield 4W:3D:1L)
- The aggregate score of these games is 13-11
- The biggest winning margin in an Anfield fixture was actually by City (1-4 in 2021)
- Liverpool wins by more than one goal v City at Anfield: 1
In terms of Premier League titles won, Guardiola wins this ‘duel’ emphatically with a 5-1 trophy count. In the years Liverpool
did not finish second to City, they
finished 25, 17 and 22 points respectively behind Guardiola’s men. Yet, bizarrely, this is never mentioned by the Scouse-fellators in the British press.
Klopp has done a good job at Liverpool, nobody is denying that; what we do have issue with, however, is their incessant desire to insert themselves into every single ‘Best Ever™️‘ conversation and hyper-inflate their own sense of self-worth. They’ll never, ever change.