City welcome Liverpool to the Etihad Stadium for one of the most hotly anticipated encounters of the season.
With just one point separating the two teams at the Premier League summit, the result of this weekend’s clash could prove vital in the outcome of this season’s race for the title.
In a recent press conference, Pep Guardiola reiterated that the two sides have set a new standard in the English top flight over the past five years.
City have won three of the last four Premier Leagues with Liverpool the only side to break that hegemony and, given the two teams currently boast a 12-point gap on the chasing pack, it’s likely that record will extend by a further year.
Silverware aside, Guardiola’s assessment of ours and Jurgen Klopp’s side’s domestic dominance is backed up by some astonishing statistics since we won our first title under the Catalan’s guidance in 2017/18.
Discover the extent of City and Liverpool’s rule of the Premier League roost below…
Premier League points
Given the two sides have won each of the last four Premier League titles and are once again in a tussle for this season’s title, it comes as no surprise to learn that they have both earned more points than any other team in the English top flight across the past five years.
Since the 2017/18 campaign, Guardiola and Klopp’s men have claimed 438 and 412 points respectively from 182 matches – in City’s case that’s 100 more than any other Premier League team.
City and Liverpool are also the only two sides to average over two points per game in that time (2.41 for City, 2.26 for Liverpool) with Manchester United and Chelsea their nearest rivals at a rate of 1.86 and 1.85.
Goals scored
Once again, the two sides lead the way in terms of attacking output, both registering over 400 goals in the past five Premier League seasons.
City’s 456 strikes translates to an astonishing rate of 2.51 per game, while Liverpool’s average stands at an impressive 2.21 from 403 goals.
Tottenham’s 322 goals, at a rate of 1.77 per match, is third among the English top flight, but still 134 less than Pep Guardiola’s men.
Defensive output
Grabbing goals is one thing but stopping the opposition at the other end can just as vital in claiming the Premier League title.
City and Liverpool are also the frontrunners in this respect, conceding 135 and 155 goals in 182 matches since the beginning of the 2017/18 campaign.
The two sides have also faced the least shots on target in that time, City coming in at 455 while Liverpool’s rate of 544 is 26 fewer than third-placed Chelsea.
Ahead of Sunday’s showdown, Guardiola and Klopp’s sides are the only two in the Premier League to concede fewer goals than they have played matches over the past five years.
Overall results
City once again stand clear in terms of overall Premier League victories since the 2017/18 campaign, winning an incredible 140 of our 182 matches.
We have dropped points in just 42 encounters, while Liverpool’s haul stands at 125 wins, 37 draws and 20 defeats.
Indeed, the two teams’ combined Premier League defeats (44) would still see them rank third among the other sides in the English top flight to be involved in the last five campaigns.
Only Manchester United (38) and Chelsea (43) are able to better that total.
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On the ball
Guardiola’s men have averaged an astounding 67.7% possession per match in the Premier League since 2017/18 – a statistic 5% greater than any other side.
We are also the only team to complete over 100,000 successful passes in that timeframe, boasting a current total of 113,897.
Liverpool once again rank second in both categories, averaging 62.3% of the ball across their 182 league games, while they have also completed 95,620 passes - 411 more than their nearest rivals, Chelsea.
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