‘The whole planet should watch’: Klopp ready to reboot City v Liverpool rivalry

Jürgen Klopp has described Liverpool’s top-of-the-table encounter with Manchester City as a game the whole planet should be watching, but believes the result will not define the trajectory of his team.

First host second in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime as Liverpool travel to the Etihad Stadium hoping to end City’s 23-match winning run at home in all competitions.

Klopp has the superior head-to-head record against Pep Guardiola, with 12 wins from 28 meetings to Guardiola’s 11, and takes an improved Liverpool side down the M62 with renewed confidence.

A Liverpool win would send them two points clear of City and relight the fuse on a Premier League rivalry that produced fireworks between 2019 and 2022 but simmered down last season as Klopp’s team, who underwent something of a transition, finished fifth. Taking on City once again is an exciting prospect for the German, who says his new-look team are “closer” to Guardiola’s men but remain underdogs.

“It’s just a super-exciting football game,” said Klopp. “One of these I would watch wherever I was on the planet. Why wouldn’t you watch this game? There’s everything there you would need.

“A lot of things can happen. We can play bad and lose, possibly. We play bad and win – I would say that’s unlikely, almost impossible against City. We can play very good and don’t win, that’s possible because that’s football. And all would happen to exactly the same team. Because this team doesn’t have to pass a test now. The direction we’re going is the right one, that’s obvious.”

Liverpool’s 2019-20 Premier League triumph is the only time in the past six seasons the title has eluded City – and one of only two occasions in his seven seasons at the club that Guardiola has not lifted the trophy – but City have shown some frailties this season, dropping points at Wolves, Arsenal and Chelsea in recent weeks. A 1-1 draw with Everton on 31 December 2022 was the last time City did not win at home in any competition.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish fight for the ball during Liverpool’s visit to Manchester City in April. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

“The longer a run is going, the more likely it will end,” said Klopp. “They’re extremely strong, there’s nothing that I can say to make them weaker – otherwise I would constantly repeat it. Whatever happened last year, two years, three years ago is just a memory. If we can make it really uncomfortable for them, we have a chance. It feels like we’re a bit closer, and that’s good. But on match day you still have to win the decisive battles on the pitch, be compact and on top of that play football yourself.

“I love to organise things to get an advantage from that and that is deep in my personality. Defending is an important part of the game so that is where my philosophy starts and maybe where his [Pep’s] ends. We are not that close that we have spoken about that.

“Here or there, there might be spaces and we have to use them but if there is no space we have to be patient enough to create different kinds of things.

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“They’re one team who really builds with the goalie. If you have a solution for that, Ederson steps back and they adapt to that. And that’s interesting, that’s football. But in the end, we’re all kind of predictable. Nobody has a rabbit in their pocket to pull out. The pitch is the same size. I love preparing for a game when the opponent wants the ball. It gives you an opportunity to create something. It’s super hard when the opponent gives you the ball.”

Klopp was in no mood to double down on his previous complaints regarding kick-off times, despite the 12.30pm scheduling. That decision was made after the Premier League consulted Greater Manchester police as well as broadcasters, with the recent rise in arrests connected to games between Manchester City and Liverpool cited among the reasons. City also have a Champions League game against RB Leipzig to play on Tuesday.

It will be the 14th time Liverpool have played in the Saturday lunchtime slot in Klopp’s eight-year spell as manager, double that of many of their traditional “big six” rivals.

Asked to comment on the kick‑off time, Klopp said: “No. Because obviously my English isn’t good enough to make you all understand it. So why should I waste my time or your time? Nobody wants to hear it. I tried a couple of times. I’m already a bit tired of that. I love playing at 12.30 – that’s my new attitude.”