Liverpool can find solace in recent Anfield record against Manchester City

Manchester City and Liverpool could hardly have had more contrasting starts to the new season, but the Citizens have won just once at Anfield in their last 21 attempts and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping the frenzied atmosphere on Merseyside can derail the champions' near-faultless start to the campaign.

City's sole Anfield success in that run came during the 2020-21 season, when fans were still locked out of stadia due to Covid restrictions and Liverpool were forced to pair Jordan Henderson and Fabinho at the heart of their defence.

With the injuries again mounting for the Reds, they will be keen to not suffer a repeat of that 4-1 defeat and lose further ground at the top.

The season is only nine games old yet City are already 13 points better off than Liverpool and Reds boss Klopp said after last weekend's 3-2 defeat at league leaders Arsenal that his side were “not in the title race”.

However, he should take solace from Liverpool's dominant home record against their perennial foes.

The Premier League giants have pushed each other all the way in recent years and have served up some titanic battles at Anfield, including last year’s 2-2 draw which included the 2021-22 Goal of the Season from Mo Salah.

Liverpool have kept a clean sheet in four of the last eight meetings on Merseyside but must do something few defences have managed this term to preserve that record: keep Erling Haaland quiet.

Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm, netting 15 times in his first nine league matches, and the Norwegian is odds-on to add to his tally against a battered and bruised Reds rearguard.

With the title seemingly a distant hope, preserving their rock-solid Anfield record against their imperious rivals may be the best they can hope for.

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