'Football like nothing you've seen before' - The Liverpool rivalry through the eyes of a Man City fan

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Mohamed Salah's impending departure signifies not just the end of an era for Liverpool, but what was one of the greatest rivalries in Premier League historyAfter Mohamed Salah announced that he will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, one thing is becoming clearer: it’s the end of an era.Not just an era that has seen the Egyptian obliterate records and make a mockery of Premier League defences with his spellbinding performances.But an era that produced possibly the highest quality of football the league has ever seen. Salah and Firmino popped up again to book the Reds’ semi-final place as 5-1 aggregate winners.And while Guardiola’s team had ran away with the league title, it was clear they’d have a much tougher battle on their hands if they were to defend it.Seven games into the 2018/19 season, Anfield played host to an early six-pointer in the Premier League title race.

Both City and Liverpool had picked up 19 of a possible 21 points to start the campaign.Here they would add another one each to their tally, after a high-intensity, end-to-end battle finished goalless, with Riyad Mahrez’s late penalty miss rued for some time in City quarters.Fast-forward to the new year, and the stakes were even higher. That front three up to its old tricks again.When they did score, it was Trent Alexander-Arnold and Robertson linking up as they so often did, with the latter setting up Firmino for a simple headed finish.But Sane popped up again late on to win it in a game many consider to be the greatest in the league’s history.City captain Kompany told Sky after the game that his team’s performance was ‘beyond anything I’ve ever witnessed’.

It was the night Bernardo broke his own record for most distance covered in a game (13.7km).These were two heavyweights going blow for blow, trying to outdo each other, playing their own way, and with style.Stones’ clearance and the subsequent image of the goal-line decision system remain firmly etched into City folklore.Without that, Liverpool win the league as undefeated champions, likely with 100 points no less.While it was City that would go on to win that title, it was clear that these two teams - both at the peak of their powers - weren’t going anywhere anytime soon.The Reds finally got their hands on the Premier League title in 2020. 2-2..Both sides brought their 'A' game once more, and couldn’t be separated, with a famously charged-up Guardiola handshake telling of the emotional rollercoasters he’d been put through by his counterpart over the years.City pipped their rivals - who were effectively two wins away from an unprecedented quadruple - to the title again in 2022.While since then, the clubs haven’t been directly competing with each other as they used to, this rivalry was something to savour.Both Guardiola and Klopp speak glowingly of one another, with the Catalan having made no secret of the impact the German has had on his career, pushing him to be the best he can be.It just so happens that the City boss has struggled more than ever, and his future is more uncertain than ever, now his old foe has gone.With the Premier League in its current state, perhaps another title win in this era just wouldn’t quite feel the same for Guardiola.To reach 97 points and still be pipped to the title takes something truly special.