The last Liverpool XI to win at Man City in the Premier League
Here's the last Liverpool XI to win at Man City in the Premier League. Not a single player remains at the club.
Jurgen Klopp actually has a great record against Pep Guardiola. He's positive, in fact, and no one has a better record against the Spaniard than Liverpool's boss.
But his record at the Etihad since moving to Anfield has not been great. Now, maybe that's a little harsh - no one has a great record there against City in recent times. You have to go back some way to find a win there in the Premier League, though. 2015, to be precise.
That was Klopp's very first trip there and the City boss was still Manuel Pelligrini. The Reds were magnificent on the day, running out 4-1 winners with a high-energy, high-pressing game that showed off what Klopp wanted his side to become.
Few would have guessed on that day that we'd still be waiting for a repeat at the Etihad eight years later.
Eliaquim Mangala scored an own goal to put Liverpool in front, with Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino making it 3-0 ahead of half-time. Just before that whistle could blow, however, Sergio Aguero pulled on back for City. Martin Skrtel provided the only goal in the second half, though, wrapping up a 4-1 win.
So what was the XI for the win? Here's what became of them.
Simon Mignolet
Simon Mignolet wasn't the perfect goalkeeper for Liverpool, but he did come very close to winning a Premier League title in 2014. Eventually, Klopp would try to replace him with Loris Karius - an ill-advised move. Alisson Becker took over in 2018, though, with Mignolet moving on to Club Brugge in his native Belgium one year later. A very successful move, too.
Nathaniel Clyne
A very tidy right-back for Liverpool, Nathaniel Clyne played regularly for Klopp's first two seasons. Injuries forced him out of the side in 2017, though, with a young Trent Alexander-Arnold getting his place. Clyne would never win it back and left the club in 2020 after just 10 appearances in three seasons.
Martin Skrtel
This would be Martin Skrtel's final year with Liverpool, having joined the club in 2008. In fact, this was his final goal for the club, too - and his 18th in total. A great servant for the Reds, Skrtel played over 300 games under five managers.
Dejan Lovren
Dejan Lovren was hit and miss. Let's put it that way. At his best, the Croatian looked like one of the best centre-backs around. And his worst, he was an absolute liability. He did really click under Klopp, though, and put in some great performances alongside Virgil van Dijk in 2018. Lovren left the club in 2020 as a Premier League and Champions League winner.
Alberto Moreno
Liverpool just couldn't get Alberto Moreno to work. The ability was always there but so was an ability to do the wrong thing regularly. Klopp tried very hard to get the Spaniard into his side at first but once Andy Robertson got in, Moreno was never getting back in. He stuck around as a squad option for a year before leaving in 2019.
Lucas Leiva
What could have been. Lucas Leiva arrived with hype but quickly looked out of his depth. Under Kenny Dalglish, though, the Brazilian thrived and looked like a worldie for a brief period before a horrible knee injury. Lucas was never the same afterwards and while a decent player, Klopp never got the player at his best. A 10-year servant, Lucas remains a club favourite.
Emre Can
Emre Can developed really well at Anfield and started the 2018 Champions League final for Liverpool. He then rejected a new contract to join Juventus that summer. It was one of the most ill-advised transfers a Red has made, in all honesty. The German struggled badly in Italy and has been rebuilding his career while Liverpool won absolutely everything.
James Milner
James Milner had joined Liverpool the previous summer as a veteran presence. It's quite remarkable that he stuck around as a regular player until 2023. Milner was simply brilliant under Klopp as the most versatile, hard-working player you could ask for. He was a midfielder for this campaign but spent a year at left-back in 2017/18. Incredible. A legendary player.
Philippe Coutinho
Did we say Can made the most ill-advised move? Philippe Coutinho was absolutely sensational under Klopp. His performances over the first half of the 2017/18 season had him as one of the world's best players, prompting Barcelona to pay £142m for him. That might be the worst transfer in history, while Liverpool used the money to build a Champions League and Premier League-winning team. Instead of being the face of Klopp's Reds, Coutinho has become an afterthought.
Adam Lallana
Klopp loved Adam Lallana and few players did more to help bring the high-pressing, energetic style of play to life than the playmaker. Injuries arguably stopped Lallana from being all he could at Liverpool - but his importance shouldn't be understated. Left for Brighton in 2020 as a champion of Europe and England, both fully deserved.
Roberto Firmino
If a player did do more than Lallana, it was Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian was essentially the centrepiece of Klopp's best team and there's a very good argument that it was built around Firmino. He led the press, created space for the goalscorers, played as a no.10 and a no.9 - all while producing match-winning displays. Firmino left in 2023 as a free transfer and one of Liverpool's greatest ever players.
Subs
Jordon Ibe
Liverpool's Raheem Sterling replacement (who was on the losing side in this game), Jordon Ibe just never developed enough. He'd play 41 times in this season but left for Bournemouth at the end of the season. Ibe has since talked about suffering from depression and at 27, is now playing in the National League.
Christian Benteke
Christian Benteke was Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers' big summer signing in 2015. He just didn't fit in with Klopp's style of play, however, as shown by the fact he wasn't starting this game just a few months after his arrival. The Belgian left after this sole season, essentially for the same amount the Reds had paid for him.
Kolo Touré
Kolo Touré joined Liverpool in 2013 as an experienced option in defence - a role he played very well. A squad player for essentially his entire time at Anfield, he played sparingly under Klopp in this season. The Ivorian left for Celtic and former manager, Brendan Rodgers at the end of the campaign.