Manchester City: A statistical look at City against Liverpool
Manchester City takes on Liverpool this weekend. Our writer Jason takes a look at an assortment of interesting stats between the two clubs.
Manchester City will host Liverpool in the midday kick off on Saturday as the Premier League resumes after the International break.
The game will come almost exactly 124 years after the first meeting between the two. Back then we were known as Ardwick and both sides were plying their trades in the second tier of English football. Although it was held on the 16th of September it was actually our fourth game of the season, although I don’t want to draw comparisons, we lost 1-0.
History Of The Fixture:
Throughout history, it has been the Merseyside club who have enjoyed the majority of results, having only lost fifty-three of the 206 meetings. The figures don’t make much better reading when you take out the matches played in a decimated football scene during both World Wars. In those two sections, we lost half.
Recent history is just as dire though. Our last league win against Liverpool back in August 2014 at the Etihad. Of course, we did beat the ‘pool in the League Cup Final but that of course came after a penalty shoot-out.
One of the games I personally remember was the last day of the season, at Maine Road in the 1995-96 season. Needing a win to stay up City promptly went 2-0 down before half time, helped by a Steve Lomas own goal. Second half saw us claw back to 2-2 but sadly it wasn’t enough to keep us safe. Mixed emotions that we managed to show heart and get back from 2-0 down and if we’d done that for the previous 37 we may not be facing the relegation.
Interestingly, City have only lost one of their last eight matches at home. to Liverpool, although we rarely keep a clean sheet. Ex blue, James Milner, has scored twice and had an assist in another goal in games against us since he left in 2015. For our part, Sergio Aguero has scored in all the fixtures he has played at the Etihad against Liverpool. So, from that point of view, it should be an open game.
Now, remember that he needs just that one more Premier League goal to become the highest scoring non-EU player in the Premiership.
Managers We’ve Shared:
While there haven’t been many managers to have managed both side, David Ashworth was in charge of Liverpool for four years after the first world war before moving to City for a season. He kept us mid table in his first season before seeing us relegated the next.
We have, of course, been managed by some of their former players, as have they. Joe Fagan made 158 appearances for us in a career interrupted by the second world war. In 1958 he joined Liverpool’s coaching staff, eventually becoming the manager in 1983.
Phil Neal went the other way. Making 455 appearances for Liverpool from the mid 70’s to mid-80’s. A decade later, he was in our revolving managerial chair, if only for a brief moment.
Of course, the first name many would have thought of at the beginning of this section would be Kevin Keegan. After winning everything domestic and European at club level for Liverpool, he came to us and brought a bunch of Liverpool seniors with him.
Players We’ve Shared:
Of course, you have Steve McManaman, David James and Robbie Fowler from the Keegan era. There are many more names to add to the list though, including Raheem Sterling currently with us while James Milner and Daniel Sturridge currently at the Merseyside club.
Next: Manchester City: Malos Deportes, Old Beans!
Further in the past, you could add Kolo Toure, Dietmar Hamann, Craig Bellamy, Steve McMahon, Mario Balotelli, Peter Beardsley, Nigel Clough, Albert Riera and Nicolas Anelka. A shock to the Manchester United fans would be Matt Busby.