A Modern Rivalry: Manchester City v Liverpool Classics

By Sam French

For much of the Premier League’s history, rivalries were built on geography or history- Manchester United v Liverpool, Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspurs. Over the last decade, Manchester City v Liverpool has become one of the new rivalries as both teams went neck-and-neck and were competing for Premier League titles. When Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp’s sides met it was often a clash of styles, but it was also often football at its most breathtaking and entertaining with some standout games.

Here’s a look back at some of the classic encounters- goals were often involved!

Liverpool 4–3 Manchester City (January 2018)

When Pep Guardiola’s side arrived at Anfield, Manchester City had gone 30 games unbeaten in all competitions and were on course to break Premier League records. No team had beaten them in the league. Liverpool were without Philippe Coutinho but Virgil van Dijk had just arrived from Southampton for £75 million.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain fired the Reds ahead with a low drive inside ten minutes, only for Leroy Sané to equalise before half-time.

The second half performance would go down in Anfield folklore. In a blistering nine-minute spell, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané, and Mohamed Salah all scored, each goal dripping with confidence, chaos but quality too. Salah’s strike- a stunning lob from 40 yards after Ederson’s misplaced clearance - was a standout moment.

Manchester City fought back. Bernardo Silva and İlkay Gündoğan made it 4–3 late on, and Anfield held its breath as City pushed for an equaliser. 

Jurgen Klopp called it “a thunderstorm of football” and Pep Guardiola admitted that it was “a fantastic advertisement for the Premier League.” 

Manchester City 2–1 Liverpool (January 2019)

Perhaps the defining game of the Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp era and it came down to millimetres. 

Liverpool arrived at the Etihad seven points clear, dreaming of a first Premier League crown. It’s the iconic image of the John Stones goal line clearance, preventing the ball from crossing the line, just 11 millimetres in it, that is remembered most from this occasion.

Sergio Agüero put Manchester City ahead, Roberto Firmino equalised, and Leroy Sané’s left-footed strike off the post sealed a 2–1 win for the home side. 

Ultimately, Manchester City cut the gap to four points and went on to pip Liverpool to the title by a single point, finishing on 98 to the Reds’ 97.

Liverpool 3–1 Manchester City (November 2019)

A year later, it was Liverpool’s turn to make a statement. The title that had eluded them in 2019 was now within reach. Fabinho’s thunderbolt opened the scoring, followed by goals from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané.

Despite Bernardo Silva’s late reply, City were outplayed by a Liverpool side playing at their absolute peak. 

This win put Jurgen Klopp’s men nine points clear and all but confirmed what many already suspected- there was no stopping the Reds and, despite a Covid lockdown, this was the season they’d finally be crowned Premier League champions- and deservedly so.

Liverpool 2–2 Manchester City (October 2021)

Manchester City dominated the first half, but it was Liverpool who responded with brilliance after the break.

Sadio Mané opened the scoring, Phil Foden equalised, Mohamed Salah danced through three defenders to score one of his finest goals, and Kevin De Bruyne’s late deflected strike rescued a point for Manchester City.

Manchester City 2–2 Liverpool (April 2022)

Another title race that would go the distance and, with only a point separating them heading into the run-in, this felt like a final. Manchester City twice led through Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus, but Diogo Jota and Sadio Mané levelled for Liverpool each time.

The draw meant that Manchester City stayed one point ahead and they went on to win the title.

2022 FA Cup Semi-Final: Liverpool 3–2 Manchester City (April 2022)

Arguably one of the most intense cup semi-finals in recent memory, the 2022 FA Cup semi-final at Wembley had Liverpool racing to a 3–0 first-half lead with goals from Ibrahima Konaté and Sadio Mané (twice). 

Manchester City’s fightback in the second half brought them to 3–2, but Liverpool held on to secure a place in the FA Cup final. 

Jurgen Klopps’s side would go on to win the FA Cup that season after defeating Chelsea on penalties. It was the German’s first- and only- FA Cup win with the club and added to the success in the League Cup earlier in the season.

Liverpool 3–1 Manchester City – 2022 FA Community Shield

Liverpool lifted the Community Shield at the King Power Stadium, defeating Manchester City 3–1. Goals from Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez gave Liverpool an early-season boost. This game’s remembered for the arrival of two new strikers arriving in English football- Erling Haaland for Manchester City and Darwin Nunez for Liverpool. Haaland may have gone on to dominate the scoring in the Premier League in recent years but in this game, it was Liverpool’s new striker who’d made the best first impression as he won a penalty and scored the third goal.