Three key fixtures which grew modern Man City vs Liverpool rivalry

For decades, Manchester City and Liverpool were nowhere near as heated rivals as they are in the present day.

Both the Blues and the Reds saw their clashes against Manchester United as meaning more and, as much as two teams from opposing cities could, they found a common hatred. Fast forward to 2023 though and the City vs Liverpool fixture has never been so bitter.

During the international break, Virgil van Dijk likened the match to 'a war' despite Liverpool not being in the title picture this season. City meanwhile took steps to limit the amount of away supporters Jurgen Klopp's team could bring after horrendous scenes during the Carabao Cup clash at the Etihad back in December.

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But how did we get to this stage? MEN Sport has taken a look at how the rivalry has developed to where it is today.

Arguably, the origins of the fierce aspect of the City vs Liverpool fixture date back to the 2017/18 season. In Pep Guardiola's second season in England, his side were drawn in the Champions League quarter-finals against the Merseyside club.

The animosity between the two clubs was heightened upon arrival at Anfield for the Blues when the players' coach was the target of missiles, subsequently leading to a €20,000 fine from UEFA. Klopp was quick to condemn the attack but it sowed the seeds of what was to become a much more hostile rivalry.

City would go on to lose the first leg of the Champions League tie 3-0 before being knocked out of the competition 5-1 on aggregate. Despite those off-field issues, respect between the two coaches remained.

Guardiola and Klopp faced each other in the Bundesliga when they managed Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund respectively and this created a fond but