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Losers out of the title race?
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If a team reached 90 points in the Premier League, it used to be an incredibly special season. But Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool made it the norm. In fact, the German’s Reds twice got upwards of 90 points and didn’t even win the league. These two teams have been the two stand-alone top Premier League sides of the last decade - the beating heart of the division's rise to the top. Raising the standard of the English top-flight and world football simultaneously. But Arsenal are the new kids on the block, and after threatening to steal the title in recent seasons, they could be nine points clear by Sunday afternoon - when Man City host Liverpool at the Etihad.
It’s been eight years and nine seasons since any team other than Man City or Liverpool won the Premier League. Antonio Conte’s Chelsea were the last side to do so in the 2016/17 season. Defeat in this Sunday’s heavyweight clash in Manchester could mean that Man City are nine points adrift of Arsenal or Liverpool are 10 short - even at this early stage, that could be a gap too far to bridge. After dominating the league for the last 10 years, this Sunday’s match-up feels huge for which of these elite sides continues its perch at the top.
Manchester City and Liverpool: A decade of dominance
If we go back 10 years to the day, it’s no surprise that Man City and Liverpool have accumulated the most Premier League points in the last decade. As illustrated in the graphic below, the Sky Blues have racked up 847 points in first place, with the Merseyside outfit having picked up 802 points in second. In third, the new challengers Arsenal with 712 - almost 100 points behind. It signifies an era that has been dominated by these two teams. Quality, drive, passion and a healthy respect between the pair - it’s been Man City and Liverpool’s era. "They have been our biggest rivals. And personally he [Klopp] has been the best rival I ever had in my life," said Guardiola of his counterpart when the German announced he was leaving. "The outstanding manager of my lifetime," said Klopp of the Spaniard.
If we rewind the clock back to January 3, 2019, then we come face-to-face with the defining moment of one of the best title races in Premier League history, and one of the highest quality matches the division had ever seen. Liverpool went to the Etihad seven points clear at the top, but Man city reignited the title race as they ended the Reds’ 20-game unbeaten start to the season and reduced the gap to four points. Guardiola’s men would eventually edge the title by one point - 97 points was not enough for Liverpool. The game was frantic, high-quality mayhem. The ball was barely out of play, as goals from Sergio Agüero and Leroy Sané outdone Roberto Firmino’s strike. John Stones famously cleared the ball of the line by millimetres - those millimetres essentially won the title.
When Klopp departed Anfield last May, many felt that Liverpool's drop-off would follow, but new manager Arne Slot sensationally delivered the Premier League title in his very first season with the club. Recent success continued. Man City were in fact the ones that dropped off, with Guardiola's team finishing outside of the top two for the first time in nine seasons. Even in a disastrous campaign, they still came third and made it to the FA Cup final. Arsenal now look as though they are ready to compete at the top of English football, but which of Man City and Liverpool are most likely to battle with the Gunners in the coming years?
Which side is best set to continue at the top?
The Man City squad needed a rebuild. The stars that had been the backbone of their recent dominance were ageing. Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker and Ederson moved on in the summer. Bernardo Silva seems to be declining rapidly as he enters the twilight of his career. Stones is in his 30s, Rodri is 29 and struggling to stay fit after an ACL injury. New stars were needed.
In came Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and Gianluigi Donnarumma - supremely talented players, but it could take time for them to gel and adapt to the pace and power of the Premier League. The spine that won six titles is all but gone - new stars will have to emerge if City can repeat their dominance, but they still have the best in the business when it comes to a top-level striker in the prolific Erling Haaland, and a world class coach in Guardiola.
When it comes to Liverpool, they barely spent a penny in the summer of 2024. Many thought the rebuild would come in Slot's first season, but it was essentially Klopp's team that the Dutchman expertly led to the title last term. This summer came the real rebuild in terms of signings. Liverpool spent €482.9m and broke the Premier League record transfer twice on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak. The new mega-money stars have failed to hit the ground running, but it may take some time to integrate.
There's no doubt that the Reds have added supreme quality to their ranks, as well as lowering the squad's average age, and if Slot can find the right balance, Liverpool are likely to remain competing at the top. But with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk ageing, perhaps it's too much to ask for these new stars to repeat their predecessor's legendary achievements. Two teams that defined an era are now set to battle it out just to stay in the fight - and the combat begins this Sunday at the Etihad.
