Liverpool vs Man City: five Premier League clashes that defined title races
An editorial selection of five Liverpool-Manchester City league games, from Coutinho’s 2014 winner to the 2022 Etihad draw.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Liverpool vs Man City top five clashes is necessarily an editorial selection rather than an official ranking. Using title-race consequences, match drama and lasting significance as the measure, these five Premier League games stand out from a rivalry that has repeatedly shaped seasons.
What are the best Liverpool vs Man City Premier League matches?
Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City, 13 April 2014
Liverpool took an early two-goal lead through Raheem Sterling and Martin Skrtel before David Silva and a Glen Johnson own goal brought City level. Philippe Coutinho scored the decisive goal 12 minutes from time. The match was played amid Liverpool’s title push, but City went on to win the league by two points, according to Al Jazeera.
Liverpool 4-3 Manchester City, Anfield, 14 January 2018
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain opened the scoring, then Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah struck in an eight-minute second-half spell to put Liverpool 4-1 up. Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan scored in the final six minutes to make for a tense finish, Al Jazeera reported. Liverpool’s win ended City’s unbeaten league run, though City still finished the campaign as champions with 100 points.
Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool, 3 January 2019
Sergio Aguero gave City the lead before Firmino equalised, and Leroy Sane scored the winner in the 72nd minute. Al Jazeera said the result was Liverpool’s first league defeat of the season, ending a 20-match unbeaten run. It reduced Liverpool’s lead to four points; City later won the title by a single point.
Liverpool 3-1 Manchester City, 10 November 2019
Fabinho, Salah and Mane scored as Liverpool beat the reigning champions at home, according to Al Jazeera. The result earns its place for the clarity of Liverpool’s attacking performance in a fixture that had become a regular test between the division’s leading sides.
Manchester City 2-2 Liverpool, Etihad Stadium, 10 April 2022
The draw left City with a narrow advantage over Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, NBC Sports said in its highlights coverage. Its importance came from the pressure at the summit: neither side could turn the meeting into a decisive break in the race.
Why do Liverpool and Manchester City matches carry such weight?
The fixture has often mattered because direct results can quickly change the margin in a close title contest. Across the five matches, Liverpool won three, City won one and one ended level; three of the selections had a documented effect on the eventual title race, according to Al Jazeera and NBC Sports.
The longer league record also shows Liverpool’s historical edge at home. In a club preview, Manchester City said it had won one of its previous 22 Premier League visits to Anfield at that point, while losing 14 and drawing seven.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.