It may not be a historical derby, but Manchester City vs Liverpool has become this era’s top Premier League rivalry ahead of two big tilts in the next two weeks (Watch Man City vs Liverpool at 11:30am Sunday on USA Network and online via NBCSports.com).
City and Liverpool will meet in a virtual PL title decider on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium before tangling one week later in an FA Cup semifinal in the same venue.
[ MORE: The Run-in -- Man City, Liverpool in focus ]
Those matches, as well as each side’s UEFA Champions League quarterfinals over the next two weeks, will go a long way toward determining whether Liverpool is going for a quadruple or will have a single piece of silverware from this season. Man City could be alive for a treble... or nothing at all (City still has a fixture advantage in the FA, opponent-wise, but you get the idea).
Man City vs Liverpool all-time series, history
Liverpool’s dominated the series historically even though City will point to recent seasons as a more appropriate comparison.
Liverpool has won 20-of-49 Premier League meetings, drawing 18 times as part of an 88W-50D-48L record across all competititions.
And City has still struggled at Anfield with just one win since 2003, while Liverpool boasts five wins at the Etihad Stadium during the same span.
Manchester City vs Liverpool, all-time
League: Liverpool, 80W-44D-45L
Premier League era: Liverpool, 20W-18D-11L
All competitions: Liverpool 88W-50D-48L
Manchester City’s English midfielder Raheem Sterling (L) vies with Liverpool’s Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk during the UEFA Champions League second leg quarter-final football match between Manchester City and Liverpool, at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England on April 10, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Anthony Devlin (Photo credit should read ANTHONY DEVLIN/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Man City vs Liverpool, Pep vs Guardiola era
Now we’re not going to say the “Liverpool vs Man City rivalry” Wikipedia didn’t exist before Pep Guardiola was hired at City, but it definitely was a less-clicked page.
City and Liverpool have met 14 times since Guardiola was hired at City, joining Klopp for what’s become the most-circled match on the Premier League docket.
There’s been a Champions League quarterfinal and Community Shield amongst their meetings, but 11 are in the Premier League. And that competition has, relatively-speaking, tilted City.
Liverpool, of course, sent City out of the 2017-18 Champions League 5-1 on aggregate in the quarterfinal stage. Man City beat Liverpool in pens for the 2019-20 Community Shield.
Manchester City vs Liverpool, 2016-present
Manchester City vs Liverpool, league: 4W-4D-3L
Manchester City vs Liverpool, other: 1W-2L
Manchester City vs Liverpool, all comps: 5W-4D-5L
Manchester City vs Liverpool results, 2016-present
Dec. 31, 2016 -- Liverpool 1-0 Man City (PL)
March 19, 2017 -- Man City 1-1 Liverpool (PL)
Sept. 9, 2017 -- Man City 5-0 Liverpool (PL)
Jan. 14, 2018 -- Liverpool 4-3 Man City (PL)
April 4, 2018 -- Liverpool 3-0 Man City (UCL)
April 10, 2018 -- Man City 1-2 Liverpool (UCL)
Oct. 7, 2018 -- Liverpool 0-0 Man City (PL)
Jan. 3, 2019 -- Man City 2-1 Liverpool (PL)
Aug. 4, 2019 -- Liverpool 1-1 (4-5 pens) Man City (Community Shield)
Nov. 10, 2019 -- Liverpool 3-1 Man City (PL) -- 3 things
July 2, 2020 -- Man City 4-0 Liverpool (PL) -- 3 things | Player ratings out of 10
Nov. 8, 2020 -- Man City 1-1 Liverpool (PL) -- 3 things | Pep, Klopp reaction
Feb. 7, 2020 -- Liverpool 1-4 Liverpool (PL) -- 3 things | Player ratings | Klopp, Henderson react
Oct. 3, 2021 -- Liverpool 2-2 Man City (PL) -- 3 Things | Player ratings | Pep, Klopp reaction
Liverpool’s Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah (R) is fouled by Manchester City’s Portuguese defender Ruben Dias (L) for a penalty during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on February 7, 2021. (Photo by Tim Keeton / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by TIM KEETON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Pep Guardiola vs Jurgen Klopp all-time record
Now what if we tossed in that “other” rivalry these two footballing wizards lorded over: Der Klassiker in the Bundesliga.
Pep took the helm of Bayern Munich and immediately was thrust into one of the most intense derbies in the world: Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund.
Klopp’s BVB won 4-2 and the neither man won consecutive derbies until Bayern clipped Dortmund for a 2014-15 league sweep. Dortmund would get revenge in Klopp’s last Der Klassiker, a 3-1 German Cup semifinal win.
Pep Guardiola vs Jurgen Klopp, 2013-present
Guardiola vs Klopp, Bayern vs BVB: 4W-4L
Guardiola vs Klopp, City vs Liverpool: 5W-4D-5L
Guardiola vs Klopp, all-time: 9W-4D-9L
MUNICH, GERMANY - APRIL 28: Philipp Lahm of Muenchen challenges for the ball with Ilkay Gündogan of Dortmund during the DFB Cup semi final match between FC Bayern Muenchen and Borussia Dortmund at Allianz Arena on April 28, 2015 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Bongarts/Getty Images