The title race over the last five years has been contested by Pep Guardiola’s City and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. The two managers have pushed the league to new heights, had their teams playing sumptuous football with substance, and set a benchmark to win the league where any dropped points would be frowned upon, the two machines were so well-oiled and executed their respective manager’s tactics to perfection week-in, week-out.
This season, however, with the emergence of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side and the impressive amount of points they have accumulated so far this season, the routine scheduled programming of a City vs Liverpool, Guardiola vs Klopp title battle hasn’t happened. Liverpool find themselves in dismal form, and look a far cry off from the team that was going to pip City to the Premier League title if not for an Ilkay Gundogan masterclass against Aston Villa. Klopp’s team at the halfway stage of the season are in tenth position, an unfathomable 16 points from City.
After his side’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton in the FA Cup, Klopp was speaking about Guardiola and his willingness to not settle for second place and his insistence on demanding the maximum from his players. “If Man City, theoretically, do not win the Premier League, I do not think Pep [Guardiola] will accept this kind of situation for a couple of years. They will go again.” [via@MirrorFootball].
Liverpool’s best period of success since the 1980s has been overshadowed by City and their dominance under Guardiola. The Spaniard never takes a season off and demands performances every single match. The City manager is well known for his ruthless streak, as Guardiola removed two-time Premier League winner Joe Hart from the club because of his deficiencies with his feet. Klopp has a vast array of attacking options; Salah, Jota and Diaz to name a few. However, the German is seemingly becoming too sentimental, as his loyalties to players such as Henderson, Milner and Fabinho are quite baffling as the trio are not at the level required anymore to compete on all fronts. The German’s demeanour appears to almost accept his side’s current situation.
With City poised for a massive rebuild this summer, Guardiola is reshuffling the pack to keep himself and others hungry for success, and yet again show the vast difference in mentalities and objectives that the two managers currently possess.