Guardiola and Klopp ready to go all-in with Premier League title

Although the Sky Blues’ title last season and Liverpool’s the year before were both won in impressive fashion, fans were starved of a true title race in both seasons due to the inconsistencies of the chasing pack. No one is surprised that

and

are competing for the title again, as they have a long history of exciting battles in the Bundesliga, Premier League and the Champions League.

Guardiola vs Klopp

Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp first went head-to-head during Guardiola’s debut season at Bayern Munich, when Klopp’s vibrant Borussia Dortmund side beat the Bavarians 4-2 in the German Super Cup. This was the former Barcelona manager’s first competitive game for Bayern and Klopp made sure he received a baptism of fire in Germany. They then swapped wins throughout their time facing each other in Germany until Klopp left Borussia Dortmund in 2015, although Guardiola dominated the battle for trophies with Bayern sweeping up most domestic trophies during his time there.

in the Premier League when Guardiola took the reigns at Manchester City at the beginning of Klopp’s second year at Liverpool. Their first meeting in England was a cracker that ended in a 1-1 draw. Like in Germany, they have both won their fair share of games against each other, with both enjoying big score lines at the expense of the other.

They have also treated fans to some iconic Champions League clashes, including the 2018 quarter-final first leg when Liverpool beat City 3-0 with all three goals coming in just over half an hour

Season so far

Watching the pair challenge each other over the course of this season has been like watching two of the world’s top poker players compete in a high-stakes game. If you watch live streams of

, you’ll see players from all over the world playing their cards close to their chests and giving nothing away to their opponent. This is exactly what we are seeing in the Premier League title race between Manchester City and Liverpool, with managers Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp showing their best poker faces, waiting to see who folds first.

While it may seem like ancient history, it was only just over a month ago that many pundits were proclaiming that the title race was already over and that the Premier League trophy would be heading to the Etihad. However, Liverpool has performed with a ruthless consistency to close the gap, which is a testament to the mental strength that Klopp has instilled in his side.

Before the season started, many pundits were predicting a three-horse race for the Premier League title including Chelsea, but Tuchel’s team folded early due to irregular form.

Run-in

Manchester City’s last 5 games look manageable with games against Watford, Leeds, Newcastle, West Ham and Aston Villa. While some of these sides will be fighting for survival or European qualification at the end of the season, Guardiola will be confident of his

getting the required number of points from these games.

Liverpool’s run-in looks comparatively more difficult, at least on paper, with their opponents being Everton, Newcastle, Tottenham, Southampton and Wolves. Klopp’s team have certainly proven themselves capable of rising to any occasion, so the German will back his team to take the fight right to the end.

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