Jurgen Klopp’s high-energy pressing style has caused Pep Guardiola problems before (Anthony Devlin/PA)
Form
Manchester City’s Christmas blip could determine the destination of the Premier League trophy in May. Three defeats out of four – including a shock home defeat to Crystal Palace – saw City tumble from top spot to third, some seven points off Liverpool’s pace. In contrast Klopp’s men have just kept charging on. They remain unbeaten after 20 games, and a 5-1 rout of Arsenal on Saturday suggests they are exactly where they want to be ahead of the trip to the Etihad.
Previous meetings
Klopp has won more than half of his meetings with Guardiola’s sides over the years – eight of 15 games. No other manager who has faced Guardiola more than 10 times can even claim to have won one quarter of their matches. Klopp’s style, so similar in many ways to Guardiola’s, clearly works as his kryptonite, and it accounted for City’s Champions League hopes last season as they lost home and away to Liverpool in the quarter-finals. City had a golden chance to win the first Premier League meeting between the two sides this season at Anfield but Riyad Mahrez skied a late penalty and it finished goalless.Riyad Mahrez missed a late penalty at Anfield in October (Martin Rickett/PA)
Honours
Guardiola took his tally of major domestic league titles to seven with City’s record-breaking 2017-18 campaign, and has a glittering resume which also includes two Champions League crowns. Klopp’s trophy cabinet – highlighted by two Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund does not compare at the moment – but with his Liverpool side in pole position in the Premier League right now he has an excellent opportunity to start catching up.
– Press Association
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
