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Since the change in ownership at the club, Manchester City has been the most consistent club in the country. Ever since their first top-four finish in 2011, they have not dropped out of the Champions League places. The Citizens even became league champions thrice, shattering the record for most points in a Premier League season in May. They have been extremely dominant and have taken the game to every club in England.
City has enjoyed a lot of success against various opponents and have won away against almost every top team in the country. They have won at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, White Hart Lane, Goodison Park and the Emirates.
However, the one away ground the mighty Manchester City have not won at yet, is Anfield. Liverpool is the only top Premier League side who have not suffered a home defeat to City since their rapid rise in riches. It may come down to the intimidation factor and the chilling atmosphere of Anfield, but it has always been a place where the Citizens struggled.
They last tasted victory at Anfield in 2003, a whopping 15 years ago. Since then, six managers have come and gone, with Pep Guardiola being the seventh. City, in general, have suffered a lot at the hands of the Reds. They have only won four of the last 17 games against them in all competitions. Their last six visits to Anfield ended in defeat.
The last Manchester City manager to take a point off Liverpool at Anfield was Roberto Mancini, over six years ago. Liverpool has had some of their best performances of the season come against City, on multiple occasions. Should we expect more of the same when these two sides meet on Sunday?
Here are the last six games between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield, all Liverpool wins, ranked from good to glorious for the Reds.
#6 Liverpool 1-0 City (31/12/2016)
This was certainly the least impressive performance from Liverpool's current run of consecutive victories against the current Premier League champions. Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola had faced each other multiple times in Germany, as the managers of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, with the German having a better record. Klopp came out on top in their first managerial battle in England, as the Reds won a tight affair on New Year's Eve.
Playing the last Premier League match of a crazy 2016, many expected fireworks from both Liverpool and Manchester City. What we got instead was a conservative performance from the Reds, somewhat uncharacteristic at that point in time. Georginio Wijnaldum gave Liverpool a 10th minute lead with a fantastic header. Following that goal, the chances were few and far between. Klopp's side was not all that threatened by the Citizens, who were settling in with Guardiola at the helm.
Liverpool themselves did not get many more opportunities to increase their lead but somehow managed to hold on for the 3 points. It was not pretty, but it was what Reds fans had to grow accustomed to as Liverpool had to grind out results to achieve a top-four finish. 1-0 was certainly one of the least expected scores for Liverpool vs Man City, as we would come to find out from the other games on this list. The Reds had better days, much much better days.
#5 Liverpool 3-0 City (2/3/2016)
Jurgen Klopp's first cup final as Liverpool manager came four and a half months after he joined the club, but it ended in heartbreak as Manchester City beat the Reds 3-1 on penalties. It was a cruel way to lose a tight cup final but hey, at least Liverpool got some revenge, right?
It was merely a consolation when the Reds defeated Man City 3-0 at Anfield three days after the disappointment at Wembley. While the performance was an excellent response to the loss, it would not end up impacting much of the trajectory of both clubs in the league that season. Adam Lallana and James Milner were on target before half-time, with two really well-taken goals.
Roberto Firmino, who has taken a liking to score against City, netted the third after some great footwork from Lallana. It was a continuation of Liverpool's dominance against City in the league, after their 4-1 demolition of the Citizens at the Etihad earlier in the season. However, City had won the big battle against the Reds.
Liverpool would end up losing another final at the end of the season, as they were handily beaten 3-1 by Sevilla in the Europa League final.
#4 Liverpool 2-1 City (1/3/2015)
This game seemed like a real marker for a successful end to a slightly difficult season. Liverpool, after that breathtaking 2013-14 season, was always going to struggle to reach those heights. They endured a torrid first half to the season, after losing some key players and making some questionable signings. But then, a change in formation from Brendan Rodgers rejuvenated the Reds and had them winning again.
After being nowhere near the top four for months, a great winter spurred Liverpool on to come within touching distance of that fourth spot. The home game against Manchester City really exemplified their resurgence, as a couple of absolute stunners sealed a crucial win for them. Just three days after a gruelling penalty shootout defeat away at Besiktas in the Europa League, Liverpool showed just how much they had improved.
Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho both scored similar goals, cutting in from the left to shoot straight in the top corner of the far side of the goal. They were a sight to see, alright. It was a game that the Reds had firm control of and probably should have scored more. The season would go up in flames after this point, but Liverpool did have a happy memory from 2014-15, along with a couple of goals for the highlight reel.
#3 Liverpool 4-3 City (13/1/2018)
The first of two fantastic home victories against Manchester City in 2017-18, Liverpool were the team that ended the runaway champions' undefeated run in the Premier League. Again, a similar fate had struck the Reds in the first half of the season and left them having to recover from their early-season slump, although this one was much more short-lived. Liverpool were on a decent run, one worthy of potential title challengers when Manchester City visited Anfield.
The Reds struck early when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made a blazing run in the City half and finished perfectly past Ederson. The Citizen would get back in the game through Leroy Sane. The game was evenly poised at the break, with everything to play for. What happened next was a complete mind-blower.
In the space of nine second-half minutes, all of Liverpool's firing front three got in on the act and destroyed City. Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah all scored wonderful, albeit different, goals to give Jurgen Klopp's side a 4-1 lead. It was a scintillating spell of football, one that was rarely seen in a game between two sides of such high quality.
But Liverpool showed that day that on their day, they could terrorize any defence in the world. Man City would get two late goals back to make it a nervy end to a fantastic game, but it's not Liverpool if there is no drama, right?
This game was crucial in making Liverpool and their players believe how far they could potentially go, this is when the upward trajectory we are seeing now really started taking steam.
#2 Liverpool 3-0 City (4/4/2018)
Less than three months after that crazy 4-3 game, Liverpool entertained their rich rivals again. This time, it was the Champions League quarter-finals. Whenever two English teams are drawn to play against each other in Europe, it is bound to be a cracking game. But this time, the excitement was through the roof. After the two games in the league ended so differently, a 5-0 win for City at the Etihad and the aforementioned 4-3 victory, nobody knew what would happen over the two legs.
The Anfield fans took it upon themselves, like every European night there, to motivate the Liverpool players. It worked perfectly, as the Manchester City players did not know what hit them (pun NOT intended). That man Mo Salah opened the scoring before another long-range thunderbolt from Oxlade-Chamberlain made it 2-0. In next to no time, Sadio Mane added another one. The Reds were 3-0 up in just half an hour!
The second half was a real test of the mental strength and character of Jurgen Klopp's boys, as the Citizens pressurised the Liverpool defenders in search of a precious away goal. But the Reds, led by January signing Virgil van Dijk, held on to keep the all-important clean sheet and take the 3-0 lead to the Etihad for the second leg.
They would end up winning that game as well, showing that Liverpool and Klopp really do have City and Guardiola's number at the moment. This was probably one of the Reds' most important performances against on their road to Kiev.
#1 Liverpool 3-2 City (13/4/2014)
This may have been the first match from Liverpool's current run, but it is a match will live long in the memories of all Reds fans as the time they believed the Premier League was theirs. They were so close.
While fate would sway the title to the Etihad, Liverpool's thrilling 3-2 win over Manchester City in April 2014 was one of the most memorable matches in the Premier League era. Emotions were running high, as the match took place just two days before the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.
The Reds needed a win to steer clear of City in the title race and started off brilliantly. Raheem Sterling put Liverpool ahead after just six minutes with a very smart goal before Martin Skrtel made it two to the good with a header from a Steven Gerrard corner. The Anfield crowd was as raucous as ever, smelling the success of Premier League glory coming to Merseyside.
After half-time, Man City fought back thanks to substitute James Milner, as he helped them to level things up again. When all hope looked lost for Brendan Rodgers' side, up stepped Philippe Coutinho. He scored a great goal which would eventually win the match, one of five goals he scored against them. The scenes at the final whistle were emotional, as Reds fans and players both believed that the league was theirs to win.
They dared to dream and while the title eventually would not come to Anfield, it was one hell of a ride. One that would hopefully be repeated this season, but with a different outcome of course.
