The latest defeat for Liverpool at Etihad Stadium was one of a series of forgettable losses the defending champions have suffered in their fiercest rivalry with Manchester City. Although the club did not find it a happy hunting ground, with their visits producing more than a few uncomfortable memories, certain defeats stand apart because of the beating the Reds received. Especially after the Sky Blues Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008 and subsequent Pep Guardiola's arrival, City became a force to be reckoned with and a fierce competitor in this fixture, giving Liverpool some hard times at their den. Each of these losses has proven costly for the Reds, causing a setback to their title charge or other objectives and adding an extra layer to this meeting.
We look back at some of the humiliating losses suffered by Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium in recent times:
Manchester City 5-0 Liverpool - (2017/18)
The biggest winning margin in this fixture came at a time when both sides were entering one of their golden periods in history. Manchester City were entering an era of sheer domestic dominance under one of football’s greatest minds, Pep Guardiola, while Liverpool were ushering in their glory days with the guidance of their genius German manager, Jurgen Klopp. The 2017-18 season was thus historical for both sides and it started one of the most intense rivalries in league history. The first such big clash went City's way when they met at the Etihad with a heavy beating of the Reds. The club’s top scorer and legend, Sergio Aguero, gave the home side the lead from an incisive pass from the charismatic Kevin De Bruyne, although completely against the run of play, so few predicted the game would turn into a battering from here on.
The moment that changed the complexity of the affair was Sadio Mane getting sent-off with a high-boot challenge on goalkeeper Ederson while competing for a long pass. It was on the 37th minute mark and City, who refurbished their squad in the summer with a potent attack after a disappointing debut season under the Spaniard, found an ideal scenario to show their ruthlessness. On the stroke of half-time, Gabriel Jesus doubled the lead, after his earlier header was ruled out for offside, with the Belgian midfield star the provider again. The second half became a romp with Jesus completing his brace just five minutes in after Aguero’s second was ruled out for offside. The latter also provided the assist for the goal, with substitute Leroy Sane also scoring a late brace, with the final goal being the pick of the bunch scored that day.
The Reds did not stand a chance against the storm they faced with a player down and the visitors were relieved of their misery when the full-time whistle blew. The huge 5-0 victory was a statement one from Guardiola’s men, who then went to secure a record-breaking Premier League title win whereas it was the heaviest defeat the Liverpool manager suffered in his career. Klopp’s men took their revenge in the reverse clash at Anfield and also in the Champions League ties on their course to reaching the final of the competition after a decade. However, this defeat remained a big scare for the Reds, who are yet to give a fitting reply.
Manchester City 4-0 Liverpool (2019-20 season)
The 2019-20 season was played at a time when the world was suffering from a pandemic, with the sport, like many other things, being affected. The Premier League was paused for months, but despite the hardship, Liverpool crafted a magnificent title campaign, winning their first Premier League title in history in a dominant fashion. Manchester City were devastated as their consecutive title-winning streak ended, compounded by injuries and poor form, leaving them 18 points off the top despite finishing the season with 81 points. Far worse, they had to give an unwanted guard of honour to their rivals as they collected the silverware a game before travelling to Etihad. The Reds were too good for the season, but their rivals reminded them of their revival stance for the upcoming campaign as they stunned the visitors, who were by that time, in a long and delayed season, ran out of gas.
After Mohamed Salah came close to giving visitors the lead with his low shot cannoning off the post, Guardiola's men flicked the switch and did not shift from their gear as they scored three goals within 20 minutes in a dominant first-half display that sealed the game for them. The sublime De Bruyne tucked home the lead from the penalty spot after Raheem Sterling was too hot to handle for Joe Gomez, who fouled him inside the box. The winger then got himself on the scoresheet, finishing off an excellent counter-attack before Phil Foden added another one before half-time. The Reds were down and out with their frustration multiplying when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain inadvertently slid the ball into his own net from Sterling's low drive for the final dagger to the chest. It left a sour taste in the mouth for Liverpool in an otherwise celebratory season, while the result motivated City to reclaim their supremacy in the following season.
Manchester City 4-1 Liverpool (2022-23 season)
The 2022-23 season saw the tide in the Premier League title race changing. While Manchester City remained in the thick of things, a new contender emerged in the form of Arsenal, rejuvenated under club legend and former City assistant Mikel Arteta. On the other hand, Liverpool had a drastic fall-off that season due to a huge number of injuries in the squad, particularly in defence, causing them to tussle for the Champions League spots rather than for the top of the table. The holders, Guardiola's side, were the chasers this time too and required a win when they welcomed the Reds in April to draw closer to the table toppers Gunners, whereas the visitors needed three points to at least not lose out on Champions League football. The match was meant to be one of their classics in their rivalry instead it became a rather one-sided affair.
Klopp’s side started on a brighter note, taking the lead through their Egyptian King, Salah, in the 17th minute, with this being his fourth strike against the same opponents in four different games in a single campaign. However, Liverpool failed to reward him as they failed to take advantage of their lead, as seen in the other encounters. Despite having their star striker, Erling Haaland, injured for this fixture, City maintained their signature attacking class and unleashed a stunning comeback. Jack Grealish caused mayhem in the Reds’ defence all day with his low cross finding Haaland’s replacement, Julian Alvarez, to slot past Alisson. The home side then unleashed the beast in them in the second half, taking less than a minute after the restart to get into the lead, with De Bruyne terrorising the Reds again.
The third was added by Ilkay Gundogan before Grealish, who bagged the player of the match award, got rewarded for his hard work as he hit the last nail in the coffin. Haaland celebrated the emphatic 4-1 win from the stands as his side reduced the deficit to Arsenal, which they would ultimately catch up to secure a seventh title and the third in a row amid a treble-winning season. It was another no-show on the travels for the Reds and another forgetful result at the Etihad as they were left trailing by seven points from a Champions League place. This defeat was a major blow as Klopp’s side missed out on the top four spot at the end of the season by four points, securing Europa League football instead.
Manchester City 3-0 Liverpool (2025-26 season)
Both sides were on opposite ends of the form spectrum when they collided at Etihad Stadium in the 2025-26 season. City lost the Premier League title to Liverpool, who got their second honour in their history, managed by Arne Slot this time after Jurgen Klopp stepped down in 2024, in the previous campaign and were determined to change things. The visitors were struggling severely, losing six of their past nine games heading into this clash, but they redeemed some form by winning back-to-back games. However, Guardiola's men reminded them that it was a false flag and further drifted them away from the title race. The home side clinched a dominant 3-0 win in this fixture at the Etihad to lift themselves to second on the table, four points behind leaders Arsenal.
Liverpool, who managed just one shot on target in the entire game, plummeted to eighth on the table with an eight-point deficit opening up at the top, having led the table for the opening two months of the season. It would have taken just 13 minutes for the goal-machine Haaland to get on the scoresheet after Jeremy Doku was fouled by Giorgi Mamardashvili, but the Norwegian’s penalty was saved expertly by the goalkeeper. However, it did not bear any fruit for the Reds as the 25-year-old got on the scoresheet anyway on the half-hour mark, placing a fine header past the stranded Georgian from a delightful cross by Matheu Nunes. City added another one just before the break, with Nico Gonzalez's long shot taking a nick off Van Dijk to crash in the net before Doku bamboozled Red’s defence again with a sumptuous strike to finish things off.
