Sure, there was the Champions League quarter-final second leg win in 2018, although it must be said the Reds went into that game with a three-goal advantage.
But since Liverpool’s 4-1 win at Manchester City during the early days of Klopp’s tenure in November 2015, the visitors have routinely departed back down the East Lancs Road with their tails between their legs after another chastening setback. That, though, has too often been the case since City moved into their new abode 20 years ago. Liverpool have won only three of 20 league visits and just one of their last 14, taking just eight points from a possible 42 during that period.
The Reds haven’t kept a clean sheet there in more than a decade, have conceded 19 times in their last seven winless trips and, in games against City overall in the league, have won only one of the last seven meetings – the 1-0 triumph at Anfield last season.
Not great. So it’s a trend Klopp will be hoping to address when his side aim for the victory at the Etihad on Saturday lunchtime that will send his team top of the Premier League table. Team selection, as ever, will be pivotal. And the Liverpool boss has three huge questions he must address before sending his team out against Pep Guardiola’s treble winners.
The left-back situation
There’s little doubt that of all the players Liverpool could ill afford to be without, it’s one of their full-backs, such is their importance to the way Klopp wants his side to play. And the long-term absence of Andy Robertson has given the Reds boss something of a headache. Kostas Tsimikas has been the deputy but, until last time out at home to Brentford, by his own admission has struggled for form. And he has never before started a game against City, playing for just 26 minutes over three substitute appearances.
It was instructive, then, that Joe Gomez was left-back at Luton Town earlier this month, his first start in the position in approaching six years. He was excellent at centre-back against City at Anfield last season, and would offer a more steadily defensive option, if at the expense of attacking threat.
Endo or not? As has been the case ever since Jordan Henderson and Fabinho followed James Milner through the exit in the summer, the question marks continue over the defensive midfield role.
Alexis Mac Allister has been the primary choice, but that it is not his natural position has been exposed at times by teams not as dangerous as City. And while Wataru Endo is the squad’s one recognised senior number six, the win over Brentford was only his second Premier League start.
Mac Allister, along with Dominik Szoboszlai, will surely start, leaving one space remaining. Does Klopp stick with the Argentine at number six and recall Curtis Jones to the left of the midfield three? Does Ryan Gravenberch get in ahead of Jones? Or does starting Endo allow Mac Allister to push further forward? There is, though, also the possibility Klopp throws another curveball in this fixture and switches to a 4-2-3-1 with Mac Allister joined by either Jones or Endo. Whatever the Liverpool boss settles upon may well determine the game’s outcome.
Jota emerges
It’s not just in defence there is a conundrum on the left flank. The other two forward positions appear locked in, with Mohamed Salah expected to start on the right and the in-form Darwin Nunez down the middle. The other wide role, though, is open for debate. Cody Gakpo could be an option, but realistically it’s between Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz. The latter had been the man in possession before recent events surrounding his father, but will be buoyed by two goals for Colombia in their recent win over Brazil.
Jota, however, has been in rich goalscoring form and, intriguingly, has started all five of the previous Premier League meetings against City in which he has been available for Liverpool.
There’s no getting away from the fact Liverpool’s record at the Etihad has been, well, pretty terrible during the Jurgen Klopp era,
