The source of hostility between Man City and Liverpool

When Man Utd no longer dominates English football, Arsenal has not been able to regain the form of a big man and Chelsea has ups and downs as a championship candidate, the last few years the race in the Premier League has been a playground between Man Utd and Chelsea. City and Liverpool. There, the players of both teams fought to the death for three points, the coaches exchanged harsh words after many dramatic matches, and the fans brought a not-so-good side.

Everything seems to start from 2017-2018, when Man City played Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. At that time, Man City flourished under Guardiola and was considered the most serious candidate, while Liverpool were struggling to assert themselves under Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool fans were optimistic and in good spirits ahead of the first leg, but a part of the extremists damaged the club's image when they attacked the bus carrying Man City members with bottles, firecrackers, flares and firecrackers. other heavy objects on the way to Anfield. No City members were affected, but the front window and the driver's side door were broken, prompting Liverpool to apologize to the visitors.

The damage was so severe that UEFA had to rent Man City an alternative bus for the journey home. In the end, Liverpool won 3-0 in the first leg and then 2-1 in the second leg to enter the semi-finals. This shocking scene was essentially the catalyst for what would become a heated and hostile story between the two clubs.

That season, Man City won the Premier League with a record 100 points and successfully defended the throne the next season with 98 points. These two seasons, Liverpool finished fourth and second respectively. In which, they only lost one match and won 97 points in the 2018-2019 season. Liverpool painfully watched the opponent lift the glory and continued to wait for the first English Premier League title, and the first English top league title in 30 years.

Liverpool did not have to wait too long. They won the throne in the next season with 99 points, 18 points more than Man City in the season that seemed to be canceled because of Covid-19.

The next two seasons, Man City returned to the throne, and Liverpool finished third and second respectively. Tensions continued to erupt in the 2-2 draw at Anfield in October 2021, when Man City's backstage staff accused the home fan sitting in the stands of spitting in the face.

Things culminated before a direct confrontation in October 2022, where Klopp criticized Man City as one of three clubs that can "do whatever they want financially", alongside PSG and Newcastle - the The club is backed by the Gulf states. After that, Man City criticized the German coach for "differentiating cultures abroad" and causing "toxic competition" between the two clubs.

This match, Liverpool won 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Mohamed Salah. But aside from the technical issues, the big battle turned into a fierce competition off the pitch as Man City fans chanted about Hillsborough and painted graffiti mocking this tragedy. And yet, Guardiola was thrown three coins by the away team's fans and Man City accused their bus of being attacked.

This epic battle sums up the toxic nature of the rivalry between the two clubs and also sees Klopp sent off after screaming in anger, then running to yell at the lineman and challenging referee Anthony Taylor. draw red card.

Therefore, the organizers are concerned that there will be more trouble between Man City and Liverpool in the League Cup on December 22, just a few days after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Both clubs have warned fans of "unacceptable behavior" and promised to issue bans if anyone is found guilty of being involved in any "ugly" incidents.

Man City won 3-2 to reach the quarter-finals, but the game did not go by without incident. A 15-year-old Man City fan was hit in the head by a Liverpool fan throwing a plastic cup full of coins. The wound on her head was bandaged by medical staff and a shocking photo of a bloody towel appeared on social media. Liverpool was forced to issue an apology, and CEO Billy Hogan directly called the girl's father.

In the new year, Man City announced they will install nets around the away area to prevent similar incidents. This is common in European matches but rare in the Premier League.

This season, Man City and Liverpool have not recreated the two-horse race like in recent years, but the tension remains intact when the two teams battle at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon. At least, both sides have their own goals to pursue. Man City want to reduce the gap with the top of the table Arsenal to five points, while Liverpool hope to go a long way in the battle for a place in the top four. Jurgen Klopp's army have been knocked out of the Champions League, and a place in the group of four. The top team in the Premier League is the only way to bring them to Europe's number one club competition next season.

Before the ball rolling, Liverpool had submitted a complaint to the Premier League about Man City being asked to cut the number of tickets allocated at the Etihad by 20% in anticipation of more trouble for the audience. This means that Liverpool only received 2,400 tickets instead of the 3,000 that most guest clubs have at the tournament. Of course, Anfield's top floor is not satisfied with such a ruling.

"Although this season, Man City and Liverpool may not race two horses for the championship, but the great battle still promises to be as fiery and passionate as usual at Etihad tonight," Sportmail emphasized.