A new national derby is born! Guardiola meets a new nemesis, wins the Premier League in 5 years, or gives birth to a new treble

The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi has rapidly reduced the attractiveness of the Spanish national derby, and the showdown between Manchester City and Liverpool has gradually replaced it as a new national derby!

The Era of the Western Super League came to an end

When Guardiola and Mourinho coached Barca and Real Madrid respectively, the national derby became the most eye-catching event in the world, Barca had top stars such as Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, while Real Madrid had superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema and Modric.

The Western Super League dominance not only dominates La Liga, but also in the Champions League. Since the 2008-09 season, Barca and Real Madrid have won the Big Ears Trophy seven times in 10 years, and their dominance is evident.

Barca and Real Madrid in their heyday drove the overall strength of La Liga, and the European war was once reduced to a "civil war" in La Liga. On the contrary, the title of the Premier League's "World First League" is somewhat unworthy of the name.

However, with the departure of C Ronaldo and Messi, the golden age of Barca and Real Madrid came to an end. Since Real Madrid won the title in the 2017-18 season, Real Madrid and Barcelona have never reached the final of the Champions League, and the latter's regression is more obvious.

"Two teams fighting each other"

Before the title battle against Liverpool, Guardiola compared the match between the two teams to the national derby, "I've had this situation at Barca. It's always Real Madrid, of course sometimes Atletico, but usually Barca and Real Madrid. In the Premier League, there were five or six teams before, but in the last 5 years, it has been two teams. ”

"That's the reality of the Premier League, which shows the continuity of these two teams and the structure of both sides. To be sure, Liverpool and Manchester City have raised their standards in recent years and boosted the competitiveness of the Premier League. We pushed each other a lot and the other teams realized they had to work harder to chase us. ”

"For the last five years, there was a year when we were in a bit of a slump, and last season, injuries affected Liverpool and Manchester United joined the competition. But, over the past five years, the two teams have been fighting each other. ”

From the Top 6 to the Double Cocks

Judging from the results of the Champions League, Liverpool reached the Champions League final for two consecutive seasons and won the title in 2018-19, while Manchester City achieved a breakthrough last season and reached the Champions League final, the only regret is to lose to Chelsea.

In the Premier League, the dominance of Liverpool and Manchester City is more obvious. Since the 2017-18 season, Manchester City has won the title three times, Liverpool has won the yuan in the 2019-20 season, and this season's championship will also be produced between Manchester City and Liverpool.

Just like the Spanish national derby, fierce competition has raised the points for the Premier League champions, with Manchester City winning with a record 100 points in 2017-18 and Liverpool winning with 99 points in 2019-20. In the 2018-19 season, Manchester City won the title with 98 points, and Liverpool ranked second with a one-point difference, which is the highest score in the history of the Premier League.

In terms of points in the past five seasons, Manchester City led with 338 points, Liverpool trailed by just one point, and third-placed Chelsea only scored 264 points, which is 74 points less than Manchester City, followed by Manchester United (257 points), Tottenham Hotspur (246 points) and Arsenal (241 points).

This standings is a testament to Guardiola's view that the Premier League has gone from a top-six rivalry to a two-man club. In the face of the strong performances of Manchester City and Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal have all been reduced to supporting roles.

From supporting characters to sworn enemies

One of the reasons why the Premier League has become a "two-man turn" may be that after Ferguson's retirement, Manchester United has not really recovered. "The Sun" analysis, Liverpool, Manchester City have a common hatred of Manchester United, and in the past 10 years, they have gradually begun to fight.

In the 2013-14 season, the title battle between Liverpool and Manchester City was quite dramatic, with blue moons eventually winning the title thanks to a slip by Gerrard. A year later, Sterling's move from Liverpool to Manchester City sparked controversy, and Sterling infuriated Liverpool fans on the grounds that he had won more trophies.

Ahead of the 2018 Champions League quarter-finals, The Manchester City bus was attacked by Liverpool fans while crossing the street. Former Manchester City captain Kompany believes the moment changed everything, "The competition intensified, they became our number one opponents and now there is more tension. ”

The competition between the two teams has indeed become more intense, with City winning the title by one point in the final round in 2018-19, and it was Liverpool who beat them.

The First World War was decided

Not surprisingly, after three seasons, the two teams once again ushered in a "showdown". After 30 rounds, City led with 73 points, Liverpool finished second by one point, and Third-placed Chelsea scored just 59 points.

At the Etihad Stadium, whoever could win almost touched the trophy with one hand. The data shows that once they win on Sunday, the chances of City winning the title will be as high as 86%. If they beat Manchester City away from home, Liverpool's chances of winning the title will increase from the current 39% to 68%.

It is worth mentioning that according to Gresnort, Liverpool have surpassed Bayern to become the second best team in Europe, with Manchester City in first place and Bayern in third place.

If they successfully advance to the Champions League semi-finals, Liverpool's opponent is most likely Bayern, and if Bayern is eliminated, Liverpool is expected to play Manchester City in the Champions League final. Six days after the Premier League showdown, the two teams will also face each other in the FA Cup semi-finals.

If there is a matchup in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, then Liverpool and Manchester City will really replace the position of the Spanish national derby and become the new national derby. Who will become the eighth treble team in history, Manchester City or Liverpool, the answer will only be revealed at the last minute.