The Premier League isn't just the best league in the world because of its quality but also for its entertainment value. There might be a team that wins multiple titles in a row, but it is often very rare for a team to win the league without a thrilling battle to get there.
It's these rivalries that give the league something extra. Whether it's Arsène Wenger vs Sir Alex Ferguson, Wenger vs José Mourinho, or even Mourinho vs Ferguson, when one rivalry ends, there is usually another that comes in to replace it.
The biggest rivalry of the last five years or so has been between Liverpool and Manchester City and their managers, Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.
And ahead of what could be their last meeting this weekend, Football FanCast has outlined everything you need to know about the competition between these two men, from their records in England and Germany to the money they have spent along the way.
Klopp vs Guardiola head-to-head
As two of the very best managers in world football, how have they fared when coming up against one another?
Well, for all of his recent dominance of England and Europe, Guardiola has actually lost more games against Klopp than he has won.
The Spaniard has come out on top 11 times, whereas the German has won one more with 12 victories under his belt, per Transfermarkt.
The pair have drawn five times, and interestingly, they have played each other more than any other managers in their careers.
12
6
11
Pep Guardiola's Premier League record
Guardiola is in his eighth season as Manchester City boss, and to call him a tour de force would likely be an understatement.
The former Barcelona manager has reached levels the league hasn't seen since Sir Alex Ferguson, and aside from his first year in charge, when his side just about qualified for the Champions League, he has been near enough perfect.
Since his arrival in 2016, he has lifted five titles in seven seasons, missing out to Chelsea in his first campaign and to Liverpool in 2019/20.
Matches
293
Wins
216
Draws
39
Losses
38
Goals scored
721
Goals conceded
242
Titles
5
Jürgen Klopp's Premier League record
Klopp's first game as Liverpool manager came back in October 2015, when he picked a side at White Hart Lane that was unrecognisable from the one that would win the league five years later.
While the German hasn't won as many league titles as Guardiola, he has still been incredibly influential, being one of the first coaches recognised for his side's intense pressing of the opposition, often referred to as 'Heavy Metal Football' at the time.
As Reds boss, he has recently surpassed 200 wins, 32 of which came in the Reds' league-winning season in 2019/20 – Liverpool's first for 30 years.
Matches
323
Wins
204
Draws
74
Losses
45
Goals scored
692
Goals conceded
317
Titles
1
Pep Guardiola's Champions League record
Guardiola has enjoyed a managerial career that has seen him take charge of the best team – at the time – from Spain, Germany, and now England, but how has he fared in European competition?
Well, quite well, we'd say.
He has won the Champions League on three occasions, twice with Barcelona and once with City.
The only mark against him is that he failed to lift Ol' Big Ears with Bayern in the three years he was there, but we think we can let him off for that.
Barcelona
2
2
50
30
15
5
Bayern Munich
0
0
36
23
5
8
Manchester City
1
2
83
56
14
13
Jurgen Klopp's Champions League record
Like Guardiola, Klopp has taken charge of three top-flight teams in his managerial career. However, unlike his Spanish competitor, only two have qualified for Europe's top competition.
He has only managed Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool in the Champions League but has a great record doing so.
His first – yes, first – final appearance came with Dortmund in 2013 when they narrowly lost out to fellow Bundesliga side Bayern Munich at Wembley Stadium. His second final appearance came five years later and once again ended in defeat, with Real Madrid winning that one.
However, at the third time of asking, just a year after losing to Real, Klopp finally got to lift the famous trophy as his side beat fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid.
The Reds would also make it to the 2022 final in Paris but once again lost to Real Madrid despite being the better side over 90 minutes.
Borussia Dortmund
0
1
36
17
6
13
Liverpool
1
3
65
40
9
16
Pep Guardiola's Bundesliga record
It seems that wherever Pep goes, he wins, and his time in Germany was no different.
In the three seasons he spent in Bavaria, he took charge of 102 league games, won 82 of them, earned 257 points and, most importantly, won the league in each season he was in charge.
He may have left the job without a Champions League title to his name, but if that's the standard you're held to, you already know you're one of the greats.
Titles
3
Matches
102
Wins
82
Draws
11
Losses
9
Points
257
Jürgen Klopp's Bundesliga record
Klopp may have won one title less than Pep during his three years managing in Germany's top-flight, but considering he was in charge of Mainz for three of those seasons and a Dortmund side that consistently sold the best players for the other seven, we'd argue his two titles are just as – if not more – impressive than Pep's three.
His two league-winning seasons came back in the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons, and the club haven't won another Bundesliga title since.
Pep Guardiola's net spend
While Pep's time at City has been an unequivocal success, he has spent an exorbitant amount of money. However, in modern football, all teams splash the cash; it's just part of the game.
His five most expensive signings in Manchester have been Jack Grealish from Aston Villa (£100m), Ruben Dias from Benfica (£65m), Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City (£60m), João Cancelo from Juventus (£60m), and Aymeric Laporte (£57m).
Jack Grealish
Aston Villa
£100m
Rúben Dias
Benfica
£65m
Riyad Mahrez
Leicester City
£60m
João Cancelo
Juventus
£60m
Aymeric Laporte
Athletic Bilbao
£57m
However, the City Group have also been astute when it comes to selling players, and so the club have seen several stars leave and bring in a healthy fee at the same time.
The most significant sales under Pep have been Leroy Sané to Bayern Munich (£55m), Raheem Sterling to Chelsea (£47m), Ferran Torres to Barcelona (£46m), Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal (£45m), and Danilo to Juventus (£34m).
Total Spent: £1.18bn
Total Sold: £518.2m
Net Spend: £661.8m
Jurgen Klopp's net spend
Jurgen Klopp has undoubtedly spent less money on transfers than Pep has, but that doesn't mean he has been pinching the pennies either.
The German has welcomed some big players with even bigger fees to Anfield over the years, with the club increasing its spending in recent windows.
The five biggest signings made under Klopp are Virgil van Dijk from Southampton (£75m), Darwin Núñez from Benfica (£64m), Alisson from Roma (£67m), Naby Keïta from RB Leipzig (£48m), and Fabinho from AS Monaco (£44m).
Virgil van Dijk
Southampton
£75m
Darwin Núñez
Benfica
£64m
Alisson
Roma
£67m
Naby Keïta
RB Leipzig
£48m
Fabinho
AS Monaco
£44m
While the club hasn't sold quite as well as City across all of their departures, they have still made some significant profit on certain deals.
The most significant sales under Klopp have been Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona (£142m), Sadio Mané to Bayern Munich (£27m), Christian Benteke to Crystal Palace (£27m), Mamadou Sakho to Crystal Palace (£26m), and Danny Ings to Southampton (£20m).
Total Spent: £680m
Total Sold: £435.7m
Net Spend: £244.6m
Pep Guardiola's quotes on Jurgen Klopp
They may be rivals at the moment and be responsible for some of the most intense title races of the last decade. However, these two managerial greats still hold each other in high regard, and the level of respect they have for one another is clear to see – even if they can get a bit animated on the sidelines.
Pep has often spoken highly of the German and described how he has felt coming up against him over the years following a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Etihad in the 2021/22 season: "I don't know if Jurgen respect me but I respect him a lot.
"He makes me a better manager… his teams are positive, aggressive and they want to attack. I try to imitate him."
And if you need any more evidence of how much Guardiola respects Klopp, just have a look at what he said last season following that same 2-2 draw.
Jürgen Klopp's quotes on Pep Guardiola
Not one to leave his fellow professional hanging, Klopp has been just as glowing about Guardiola when he has spoken about the Spaniard in the past.
In April 2022, in the midst of an intense title race, instead of taking a jab at the manager of the other side, Klopp was respectful and full of praise for his opposite number, saying: "Pep is the best coach in the world. I think we would all agree on that and it might be a coincidence that it didn't work out in the Champions League so far.
"If anybody doubts him, I have no idea how that could happen."
Klopp spoke in a similar tone ahead of their latest clash at Anfield, repeating his claim that Guardiola is one of the best coaches in football:
"He’s outstanding in so many aspects. I do the job myself so I see excellence when I face it, and Pep is definitely that.
"I know I’m not bad. But you ask about the best, and for me, he is the best."
Has there ever been a rivalry in the Premier League in which the managers seemingly try to one-up each other in compliments? We aren't sure, but the respect between the pair is undeniable and certainly gives the whole rivalry something that little bit different.