The rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester City will be renewed this Sunday at Anfield in a pivotal Premier League fixture. While history shows Liverpool often holds the edge in this matchup, current form heavily favors the visitors, who enter the weekend leading the league with 15 points—six clear of sixth-placed Liverpool. Sunday’s encounter marks the 202nd meeting between these clubs across all competitions. Historically, Liverpool maintains a commanding lead in the head-to-head record with 95 victories, while Manchester City has secured 53 wins, with 53 matches ending in a draw. The match also takes place against the backdrop of significant scrutiny regarding Manchester City, who have faced headlines concerning serious financial breach charges in recent weeks.
Reflecting on their intense history, we look at five defining clashes. The list begins with a seven-goal thriller from January 14, 2018. Liverpool secured an early lead at Anfield through Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain before an explosive second-half burst saw Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, and Mohamed Salah extend the lead to 4-1. Although Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan responded for City in the final six minutes, Liverpool held on to a 4-3 victory, ending City’s unbeaten run that season. Despite the loss, City eventually won the title with a record 100 points, while Liverpool finished fourth. Looks back at the top five clashes over the years, as Enzo Maresca faces off with Andoni Iraola this weekend. Nonetheless, City went on to lift the title that term with a record-breaking 100 points, while Liverpool came fourth. This match goes back to the season that was the first to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A second notable encounter occurred on April 13, 2014, marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. In a high-stakes title race, Liverpool triumphed 3-2 against a 10-man City side. Raheem Sterling and Martin Skrtel provided an early advantage before David Silva and a Glen Johnson own goal leveled the score. Philippe Coutinho eventually struck the winner 12 minutes from time, capitalizing on a loose Vincent Kompany clearance to delight the Anfield crowd. While this win propelled Liverpool’s title charge, Manchester City ultimately finished two points clear of the Reds to secure the championship that year. A 10-man Liverpool side beat City 3-2 in a dramatic title-race clash, on the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster when 97 Liverpool supporters died. Drilling the ball into the bottom corner as Anfield went wild for the ‘Little Magician’, coutinho pounced on a loose clearance by City’s Vincent Kompany in the box.
City claimed a critical victory on January 3, 2019, when they defeated Liverpool 2-1 at the Etihad. Sergio Aguero scored the opener, and after Roberto Firmino equalized, Leroy Sane secured the win in the 72nd minute with a shot that clipped the inside of the post. This result ended Liverpool’s 20-game unbeaten streak and was a key moment in City’s successful title defense, where they ultimately edged Liverpool by a single point.
On November 10, 2019, Liverpool delivered a statement performance, defeating the reigning champions 3-1. Goals from Fabinho, Salah, and Mane defined the victory, with Fabinho’s spectacular 25-yard (23-meter) strike becoming a signature highlight. This win helped establish an eight-point lead at the top of the table, proving foundational to Liverpool’s campaign as they finally ended their 30-year league title drought, finishing 18 points ahead of second-placed City.
Finally, we revisit the Champions League quarter-final first leg on April 4, 2018. Liverpool dismantled City early at Anfield, with Salah, Mane, and Oxlade-Chamberlain scoring in the opening 30 minutes to secure a 3-0 lead. Oxlade-Chamberlain’s thunderous long-range strike was the standout moment of the tie. Liverpool successfully advanced to the final of the competition that season, though they were eventually defeated by Real Madrid.
