Man City v Liverpool
Premier League 2025/26
Fixture Date – Saturday 8 November 2025
Kick-off – 3pm
Etihad Stadium, Manchester

 

⚽ Origins & Overall Record

• The fixture dates back to 16 September 1893, when Ardwick (later Manchester City) lost 0–1 to Liverpool in the Second Division

• As of their most recent Premier League meeting on 23 February 2025, the sides have met 198 competitive times: Liverpool lead with 95 wins, Man City have 50, and there have been 53 draws.

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🏆 Modern Era Rivalry

• Long before 2008, Liverpool had far more domestic and European honours (18 league titles, 5 European Cups), while Man City had just one top-flight title and a solitary Cup Winners’ Cup. City’s takeover in 2008 rapidly changed that landscape

• The rivalry intensified during the mid-2010s, peaking around 2017–19 as both clubs contended in tight title races, often separated only by a single point across record-breaking seasons

 

📊 Recent Head-to-Head Trends

In the Premier League between mid‑2015 and mid‑2025, Manchester City’s record vs Liverpool:

• Wins: 5

• Draws: 7

• Losses: 8

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🎖️ Key Highlights & Moments

• Champions League 2018 QFs: Liverpool crushed City 3–0 at Anfield before winning 5–1 on aggregate, a defining moment in the rivalry

• Premier League classic: Liverpool’s stunning 4–3 home win in early 2018 remains one of the fixture’s most iconic matches, often quoted among the greatest Premier League moments

• Italian Manager Respect: In 2019, Guardiola reached out personally to congratulate Klopp after Liverpool’s Champions League win—showcasing the respect underpinning this fierce competition

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🧭 Why It Matters

• Analysts and former players like Jamie Carragher have heralded this matchup as possibly “the best rivalry in English football,” thanks to the exceptional quality of both teams and managers in recent years.

• The clubs have pushed each other so hard that their tactical approaches and sustained excellence have raised the bar across the whole Premier League

• While Liverpool’s historic rivalry with Manchester United still ranks higher in emotional intensity for many fans, their championship duels with City now define modern English football at its elite level

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✅ Summary Table

Category	Details
First Meeting	16 September 1893 (Ardwick vs Liverpool)
All-time H2H	198 matches; Liverpool 95 wins, Manchester City 50, 53 draws
Modern Rivalry Start	Mid-2010s, around 2013–14
Managerial Icons	Jürgen Klopp vs. Pep Guardiola
Recent PL Record	City: 5 wins, 7 draws, 8 losses (2015–2025)
Notable Moments	4–3 Anfield thriller (2018), 5–1 aggregate CL QF (2018), 2019 title races

📅 Fixture Details

• Match: Manchester City vs Liverpool

• Competition: Premier League (2025/26 season)

• Date: Saturday, 8 November 2025

• Kick‑off: 3:00 pm UK time (15:00 BST) at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Official crowd‑catching listings confirm the game is scheduled for Matchweek 11 on 8 November, with the standard 15:00 UK kick‑off for a Saturday match

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📌 Rivalry Context & Timing

• This will be the first Manchester City vs Liverpool clash of the 2025/26 season and is confirmed in official rivalry histories—this fixture next meeting date is listed as 8 November 2025.

• Previous encounter was Liverpool 0–2 Manchester City on 23 February 2025

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🔍 Why It Matters

• These two clubs once again headline the most anticipated fixture of the season. Historically, they’ve contested tight title races and tactical duels under managers like Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot

• Their meeting in November often plays into early-season positioning and psychological edge in the title chase.

 

Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot—two of the most influential football managers shaping the modern era:

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🎯 Philosophical Roots & Tactical DNA

• Arne Slot grew up motivated by Dutch Total Football. He credits Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona and Manchester City as key inspirations:

  “Guardiola gives me the ultimate pleasure in football … I’d rather watch Manchester City than any other team in the world.”

  Like Guardiola, Slot favors possession-based, 4-3-3 football with controlled buildup and aggressive pressing

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🧠 Management & Team Preparation

• Slot describes himself as a control freak, much like Guardiola:

  “I certainly don’t want to compare myself to Pep… we want to play … building up from the back … applying pressure quickly.”

• His philosophy involves winning matches in training with precise pre-match preparation and tactical clarity, aiming to deliver the message perfectly before kickoff.

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🏆 Track Record & Achievements

• Pep Guardiola has a trophy-laden career with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, including multiple league titles and Champions League triumphs.

• Arne Slot, while newer on the big stage, achieved standout success with Feyenoord:

  • Won the 2022–23 Eredivisie

  • Captured the KNVB Cup

  • Took Feyenoord to the Europa Conference League final

  • All with modest budgets and frequent squad turnover

• With Liverpool, Slot has begun making waves in his first Premier League season, establishing himself among elite managers

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⚔️ Head-to-Head & Liverpool vs City Showdowns

• Slot has managed multiple victories over Guardiola’s City, including a Premier League double in his maiden Liverpool season—and notably without conceding a goal

• Guardiola has admitted Slot has disrupted City’s dominance:

  “Now I have to watch more Liverpool because of Arne: I don’t know exactly what they do.”

• Slot’s Liverpool outscored top teams—and did so emphatically—while Guardiola’s squad reportedly struggled with ageing personnel and form issues during this period

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🧩 Style & Evolution

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📝 Fan & Expert Perspectives

• Liverpool discussion boards highlight Slot’s strong start:

  “He is the first Liverpool manager to do a Premier League double over Pep Guardiola—and on his first attempt, too!”

• Experts like Marco van Basten praise his tactical acumen, leadership, and success despite budget limitations—positioning Slot as a rare prospect who could thrive at world-class clubs

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✅ Verdict: Pep vs Slot

• Pep Guardiola is the established elite—trailblazer in modern camp football, with unmatched titles and tactical innovation.

• Arne Slot stands as the rising star—a precise, bold tactician who has quickly translated elite philosophy into tangible success and is already challenging Guardiola’s supremacy.

Their continuing rivalry could be seen as a passing of the torch or at least a defining confrontation of elite coaching philosophies in the Premier League.

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🗂️ Summary Table

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