Liverpool Haunts Guardiola's Thousand-Game Celebration

MANCHESTER, SATURDAY — For Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola, there is nothing more perfect than facing Liverpool in the celebration of the thousandth match throughout his coaching career. On one hand, the rivalry between the two teams certainly adds a special touch to the match. On the other hand, Guardiola may regret that desire.

Guardiola has already managed 999 matches as a coach, starting from Barcelona B (42), the main team of Barcelona (247), Bayern Munich (161), to City (549). It is quite a coincidence that City will host Liverpool in an English Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester, on Sunday (9/11/2025) at 23:30 WIB.

That coincidence is very fitting. Guardiola stated that Liverpool is the top team that comes to his mind if he could choose an opponent for that historic match. "I have been here (in England) longer than in any other country. That has an impact on my life. Liverpool is my biggest rival here, especially with Jurgen (Klopp)," he said.

The rivalry between Guardiola and Klopp has been evident over the past decade. The two figures have almost always faced each other in the battle for the league title each season, often defeating one another when they meet. The peak of this rivalry occurred in the 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons, where City competed for the championship with Liverpool until the final week of the league.

The problem is that after the final whistle, Guardiola may regret the desire to face "The Reds." Liverpool will arrive with coach Arne Slot, Klopp's successor. Guardiola and Slot have met twice last season. The result was that City lost 0-2 consecutively at home and away.

The danger is further compounded as the defending champions of the Premier League have begun to find their best form after struggling since the start of the season. The coach has decided to once again trust the trio of key midfielders from last season, namely Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Ryan Gravenberch, in the last two matches. New midfielder Florian Wirtz has been sidelined.

The change has proven effective with consecutive victories and a record of not conceding in the last two matches, including a 1-0 win against Real Madrid in the Champions League last week. Previously, "The Reds" had been caught in a trend of six losses in seven matches across all competitions and had consistently conceded goals.

The original trio of Liverpool restored the team's advantage in applying pressure aggressively when without ball possession. They complemented each other to cover gaps in the midfield. When played as starters in 36 matches, the trio allowed Liverpool to concede an average of only 0.8 goals. When one of them did not play, Liverpool conceded nearly double that amount (1.4 goals).

The slot is eagerly anticipating the battle at Etihad. "With Pep, you always get something that meets your expectations 10 times out of 10. There is no match filled with wasting time and many other negative aspects of football when you watch a City game," he stated.

Slot's remarks are not merely compliments, but also hopes. He has recently been frustrated with opposing teams that rely solely on set pieces and long passes to attack. His hope is that City will engage in a battle of technique and ball control with the visiting team, similar to the two previous victims of Liverpool, namely Madrid and Aston Villa.

In a press conference ahead of the match, Guardiola expressed his longing for Klopp. It is only natural, as Klopp is the coach that Guardiola has faced the most. They have met 30 times. This longing may be the reason behind Guardiola's decision to recruit Pep Lijnders, Klopp's former assistant at Liverpool, during the summer.

Lijnders' influence is strongly felt in City's gameplay. Guardiola's team, which is usually very obsessed with ball possession, now relies heavily on quick counterattacks. In last season's league, City only scored three goals from counterattacks. They have already netted four goals through transitions in just ten matches this season.

The strength of the lightning counterattacks by Erling Haaland and his teammates has already taken many victims. Among them are Arsenal and Bournemouth, two teams known for having the best high defensive lines in the league. Liverpool, which relies on a similar high defensive trap, should be cautious. City's gameplay is no longer one-dimensional as it was last season.

In the match against Bournemouth last week, City even utilized winger Jeremy Doku to move closer to the central area. Guardiola aimed to overload the midfield to relieve pressure from Bournemouth. Once they successfully broke free, they immediately released a through ball to Haaland. The result was a 3-1 victory.

Haaland will be the biggest threat to Liverpool's defense led by center-back Virgil van Dijk. Known as "The Robot," he has already scored 18 goals from 14 appearances across all competitions. His goal tally in the domestic league, 10 goals, is equal to the total record of Liverpool's trio, namely Cody Gakpo (3), Hugo Ekitike (3), and Mohamed Salah (4).

Guardiola reminded that City also has many differentiating options from the bench, such as midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and midfielder Omar Marmoush. "You see our substitutes now, we have the tools to change the system and the dynamics of the game. They can have a significant impact," he said.

On the other hand, the host should be wary of Salah, who is starting to find his best form. He has scored two goals in his last two league matches. Known as "The King of Egypt," he has almost always troubled City in every encounter. Salah has produced 13 goals and 8 assists in 23 meetings against City. (AP/REUTERS)