Football Features

    Every unusual new record set by Liverpool & Man City this season

    By Ben Green

    Published: 14:53, 13 May 2019 | Updated: 17:09, 11 September 2021

    In one of the Premier League’s most fiercely competitive title races ever, Manchester City and Liverpool rewrote the record books. 

    Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp fought hammer and tongs across the entire campaign, continuously swapping places at the summit of the table, while simultaneously setting an unprecedented pace.

    That breakneck speed saw the Reds accumulate their best ever points return, but even that was not enough to secure a first league trophy for 29 years, with their North West neighbours producing new methods of sorcery under Guardiola.

    And so, the days when an 80-point haul could win any club the title now seem but a distant memory with both Guardiola and Klopp setting the bar at an unheard-of level, heralding the start of a new era in the English top flight.

    With that considered, we’ve taken a look at some of the records both clubs have set in what has been a spectacularly dominant season for these two great footballing aristocrats.

    1. Best combined points total

    Both Man City and Liverpool have set a new record for the best combined points total for the top two since the three-point system for a win was introduced in 1981.

    Not only is their combined 195-point tally also a new Premier League record, but Liverpool’s own 97 points means they would have won the title any other season apart from last term, when City cantered to the title with 100 points.

    And while that may sting for most Liverpool fans, they can take some solace in knowing that they have bettered any of Sir Alex Ferguson’s title-winning United sides in terms of points.

    2. Best combined goal difference

    Fittingly, both clubs have not only set the combined best points total since the three-point system came about, but they have also recorded the best combined goal difference with an insurmountable plus 139.

    City were actually better off last season, in terms of points and goal difference, but Liverpool have taken their game to new levels on the domestic front this time around, improving their points tally by 22 and goal difference by 21.

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    3. City smash two-year record

    Speaking of combined points, City’s 198-point tally across the previous two seasons is a new Premier League record as well, with Guardiola’s side obliterating the previous two-year record set by Chelsea in 2004/05 – 2005/06 (186 points).

    Their dominance across the past two terms has seen the club retain their title – a first in the club’s history – a feat which hasn’t been achieved for exactly a decade when Man Utd retained the Premier League trophy in 2009.

    4. City’s goalscoring bonanza 

    Manchester City also became the first ever English side to score more than 156 goals across all competitions after netting in the Manchester Derby last month.

    They haven’t quite been able to replicate their scintillating goalscoring exploits from last term in the league, but Guardiola’s side have been even more clinical in domestic cup competitions, as well as Europe.

    5. Quick Keita sets the bar

    Summer signing Naby Keita set a record for Liverpool this season after his 15-second strike against Huddersfield Town became the fastest ever goal scored by a Red in Premier League history.

    Unfortunately for the Guinea international his goal was just a second shy of equalling an all-time club record, set by Paul Walsh against West Ham in 1984.

    6. Assist kings

    Both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson have smashed Liverpool’s previous record for most Premier League assists recorded by a full-back in a single season.

    Both defenders had created 11 goals apiece until Alexander-Arnold came up with a final moment of magic against Wolves, setting up Sadio Mane for the Senegalese’s second and taking him to 12 assists, eclipsing the previous record set by Stig Inge Bjornebye during the 1996/97 season.

    That is an incredible 23 assists from the two full-backs, showing just how important the buccaneering defenders are to Klopp and his high-octane pressing system.

    7. Astounding Alisson

    Earlier this season, Alisson set a new club-record for the most Premier League matches a Liverpool player had remained unbeaten in his opening matches on Merseyside, with the Brazilian not tasting defeat during his first 20 games.

    His first league defeat came against Man City at the start of January, which was subsequently the Reds’ only defeat of the season in the Premier League. The previous record was set by Javier Mascherano (15).

    8. Alisson sets clean sheet record for Liverpool

    Speaking of the former Roma shot-stopper, he has also now set a new record for the highest number of clean sheets kept in a single Premier League season by a Liverpool goalkeeper (21).

    His final clean sheet against Wolves has also ensured his maiden campaign has been marked with the Golden Glove, beating City’s Ederson (20) who conceded against Brighton during the final game of the season.

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