THE only sides to win the Premier League in the past eight seasons clash this weekend – and the stats suggest that the current holders will come out on top.
Not since Chelsea’s title in 2016-17 has any one other than Liverpool or Manchester City won the title, with six titles for Pep Guardiola’s City and two for Liverpool.
But despite their success, Anfield has proved to be one nut that Guardiola and City have found almost impossible to crack.
In fact, the Catalan boss has won only one of his trips to Anfield, a 4-1 win in February 2021. It may be a crumb of comfort to City that the win was when the Reds were reigning champions.
But even before Pep’s arrival, City have struggled at Anfield, with that win five years ago their only success in their last TWENTY-TWO trips.
They have lost 14 and drawn seven of the last 21, with their previous win coming in May 2003, when Nicolas Anelka got both goals, including a last-minute winner, to cancel out Milan Baros’ opener.
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Those are City’s only two Prem wins at Anfield – and even star striker Erling Haaland has struggled there.
Anfield is one of just two Prem grounds the Norwegian has failed to score at in his goal-laden spell at City.
He has played there three times, with the only other venue he has drawn a blank at being the Stadium of Light, where he played for the first time earlier this season.
Haaland has only netted once from open play in his last 12 matches, scoring in the 2-0 Champions League win over Galatasaray last month.
He was on target when City beat the Reds 3-0 in November, and victory at Anfield on Saturday would see them complete the double over the reining champions for the first time in EIGHTY-NINE years, last doing so in 1936/37, which is also the last time they won back-to-back league games against them.
They could also be the first side to beat Liverpool to nil twice in the same season since West Ham did so in 2015-16.
It is often said that the first goal is crucial, but that may not be the case here. City have not conceded a goal in the first half of a Prem match in 2026 – scoring six – but their record in the second half is the exact opposite, letting in six and failing to score at all.
And the Reds under Arne Slot have proven themselves to have a real fighting spirit, earning 28 points from losing positions since the Dutchman’s arrival at the start of last season, with only three teams earning more.
That includes the three last time out, when they came from a goal down to beat Newcastle 4-1.
In fact, under Slot the Reds have scored 41 times in matches where they have conceded the first goal – only Brighton (42) have more since the start of 2024-25.
Five Mo Salah strops at Liverpool
Five times things have got heated during Mo Salah’s Liverpool career.
West Ham 2 Liverpool 2 – April 28, 2024
Salah gets into a heated argument with Klopp as he refuses to shake the manager’s hand before coming on at the London Stadium.
Liverpool 3 Sheffield United 1 – April 4, 2024
Salah shakes his head as he is subbed off during Liverpool’s 3-1 win over the basement club.
Chelsea 1 Liverpool 1 – August 13, 2023
Salah storms off the pitch after being replaced on 77 minutes on the first day of the season.
Brighton 1 Liverpool 1 – November 28, 2020
Salah throws his arms up in the air and barely looks at Klopp after being subbed off. Brighton go on to equalise with a last minute penalty.
Burnley 0 Liverpool 3 – August 31, 2019
Salah gets in a public spat with Sadio Mane after failing to pass to the winger. Team-mate Roberto Firmino says the row had been brewing for some time.
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