Frank Christian
On the face of it, Liverpool appears to be facing Manchester City at Anfield at the perfect time. The Reds are leading the Premier League with a comfortable eight-point margin over their struggling opponents, who haven’t won in their last six matches across all competitions.
Manchester City, managed by Pep Guardiola, has faced a particularly tough stretch, losing five consecutive games, followed by a draw against Feyenoord in the Champions League where they squandered a 3-0 lead.
Liverpool’s coach Arne Slot, previously from Feyenoord, is alleviating concerns of being overshadowed by his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp. However, Slot has a challenging legacy to uphold in their rivalry with Guardiola.
Klopp has been remarkably successful against Guardiola, having the highest number of wins against him compared to any other manager. Their competition dates back to their respective times managing Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, as well as the ongoing matches between Liverpool and City.
Top Managers Against Pep Guardiola
Klopp has triumphed over Guardiola 12 times, which is significantly more than Jose Mourinho, who follows with only 7 wins.
Several well-known managers have achieved victories against Guardiola, with four managing to win four times, and another group securing three wins.
The difficulty in defeating Guardiola’s teams, including those from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and City, becomes evident upon reviewing their loss records.
| Rank | Manager/Coach | GP | W | D | L |
| 1st | Jurgen Klopp | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 |
| 2nd | Jose Mourinho | 25 | 7 | 6 | 12 |
| =3rd | Mauricio Pochettino | 25 | 4 | 7 | 14 |
| =3rd | Carlo Ancelotti | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| =3rd | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| =3rd | Antonio Conte | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| =7th | Arsene Wenger | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| =7th | Mikel Arteta | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| =7th | Thomas Tuchel | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| =7th | Nuno Espirito Santo | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
Despite his challenges, Slot has the potential to add to his successes this weekend against Guardiola. Liverpool’s favorable conditions could lead to a significant result against City.
With Guardiola committing to remain as City’s manager for at least two more seasons, Slot might find opportunities to enhance his record and possibly enter the top tier of managers who have triumphed over Guardiola if his impressive performance continues.
