Man City vs. Liverpool history, head to head: Records, recent results of a heated Premier League rivalry

For more than a century Manchester City and Liverpool have traded blows on English football’s grandest stages, yet the past decade has transformed an old-fashioned fixture into the division’s definitive modern rivalry. Under Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp the clubs harvested trophies at a dizzying rate, and the early strides made by Arne Slot on Merseyside suggest the battle for supremacy is far from finished.

The rivalry’s latest chapter unfolded at Anfield with Arsenal perched above the pack and Liverpool knowing victory would all but extinguish City’s hopes of reclaiming the crown they held for four straight seasons from 2020-21 to 2023-24. A contest that appeared destined to be a statement win for the hosts instead swung the other way, sealed by a dramatic late twist and one of the more unusual VAR interventions in recent memory.

Across the long arc of history Liverpool hold the upper hand. The Reds have won more fixtures than City in every competition the sides have contested bar the FA Community Shield, reflecting periods of sustained dominance that pre-date the Premier League era. Yet the balance has tightened markedly since City emerged as serial contenders. Guardiola and Klopp have overseen duels decided by the finest of margins: City pipped Liverpool to the 2018-19 title by a single point, reversed the order a season later, then edged ahead again in 2021-22 by the same slender margin.

The 2023-24 campaign offered another nail-biter. A November stalemate left the pair separated by a lone point at the summit, and when they repeated the 1-1 scoreline at Anfield on 10 March, Arsenal nudged above Liverpool on goal difference while City lurked a point behind in third. Liverpool’s challenge faded down the stretch, allowing Guardiola’s side to surge past both Merseyside and north-London opposition and secure an unprecedented fourth consecutive championship.

Liverpool’s response was emphatic. A 2-0 triumph on 1 December shoved them 11 points clear of the reigning champions, and a repeat scoreline at the Etihad in February left the title race looking all but settled in their favour. City, though, have refused to yield. A comprehensive 3-0 victory in the first meeting of 2025-26—played on the night Guardiola celebrated his 1,000th game as a manager—reasserted their credentials, and a 2-1 league win at Anfield on 8 February ended a 22-year wait for a victory in front of the Kop.

The most recent campaigns have mirrored the ebb and flow of the wider rivalry. In December 2022 City edged a 3-2 Carabao Cup thriller before romping to a 4-1 league success the following April. The 2024-25 term saw honours even via a pair of 1-1 draws, yet City again finished the season celebrating silverware. When the teams reconvened in November 2025, Slot’s side appeared off the pace; City looked sharper and duly collected another victory, underlining their status as Arsenal’s principal challengers once more.

While Manchester United and Liverpool’s enmity remains rooted in geography and decades of shared history, City versus Liverpool has become the Premier League’s definitive yardstick. Each meeting shapes title races, defines legacies, and offers a snapshot of English football’s highest level. With Guardiola still stalking the touchline and Slot eager to extend Klopp’s competitive standard, the fixture’s next instalment is already circled in red and sky-blue ink.