The title race has been building up to this moment. On Sunday, Manchester City travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool, who sit just one point ahead in the Premier League table. Whoever wins this fierce clash, holds a massive advantage going into the final games of the season, but this isn't all that is special about this fixture.
After announcing his decision to leave the Reds at the end of the season, German manager Jurgen Klopp will face his fierce rival, and esteemed counterpart, Pep Guardiola for the final time for the foreseeable future. The two managers who have arguably defined the current Premier League era, this could be the last time we see the pair go head-to-head in the competition.
In anticipation of this fixture, let us take a look at what the two have built at their respective clubs, and the history that the two coaches share, to get an idea of what to expect this Sunday.
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The German-led generation at Anfield gets one last try at another league title
It would be an understatement to say that Klopp's time on Merseyside has been a success. One Champions League, one FA Cup, two League Cups, and Liverpool's first Premier League title all sit in the managers trophy cabinet, as he has established himself as one of the greatest to ever do it in the Anfield dugout.
Initially introducing counterpressing to Liverpool upon his appointment from Borussia Dortmund in 2015/16, the focus on midfield duelling began to establish his philosophy. The signings of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino allowed Liverpool to flourish in the transition, making them dangerous on the counter-attack.
The signing of Mohamed Salah in 2017 raised Liverpool to the next level, as the pressing style meant Firmino dropped deeper into the midfield, creating channels for the Egyptian to use his deadly finishing to rack up 32 Premier League goals on his debut season on Merseyside, as well as reaching the Champions League final, being defeated 3-1 by Real Madrid.
The inclusion of attacking full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson added a new dimension to the tactic, creating crosses on both sides of the wing to add danger to their attack. This also allowed Mane and Salah to be more direct with their runs, making any Liverpool counter attack deadly. Both Alexander-Arnold and Robertson ranked in the top five for assists in their inaugural Liverpool season.
The $75m signing of Virgil Van Dijk from Southampton also allowed the defence to become dominant, winning aerial battles and also having ball-playing ability. Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson also added to the dominance, ranking in the top 1% for successful ball-playing actions for goalkeepers, as well as making a whole host of world-class saves.
Even now, Klopp is evolving his tactics to remain at the top of English football. The signing of Darwin Nunez from Benfica added a direct attacker, willing to make runs rather than drop deep, meaning Klopp had to evolve his tactic. Now, fans are more likely to see Alexander-Arnold taking up a significant role in the midfield, using his playmaking skills to orchestrate the midfield using his phenomenal passing range.
This evolution has seen Klopp triumph with another league cup, after a penalties win over Chelsea. Even with a depleted squad, the German manager found a way to improvise and still produce a world class standard of football, despite having inexperienced footballers on the pitch, leading to the cup winning squad being dubbed "Klopp's Kids."
Klopp has shown his elite pedigree and his phenomenal tactics to the world, but they will have to come to fruition when he takes one, arguably, one of the greatest footballing minds seen in this generation. Pep Guardiola.
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Here to stay: How Guardiola has set-up his unstoppable City
Guardiola does not need to prove anything else to show he is a manager of immense quality. After successful stints at both Bayern Munich and Barcelona, his eight year stint at the Etihad has brought the highest of highs for Manchester City, through excellent squad building and dominant tactics.
You can rarely guess what formation the Spaniard will line up his team with. He will set the squad up in a 3-2-4-1, but will transition to a 4-2-3-1 in possession or defence. This positional play allows his team to be extremely dynamic, with his players required to play in multiple different positions in order to be the world class beaters they are now.
His first change at City in 2016 was to invert his full-backs, meaning City formed a 3-2-5 in posession, allowing his team to be on the front foot at all times. The addition of pushing his defensive midfielder into defence encouraged possession football, as well as dropping Joe Hart for Claudio Bravo, establishing his philosophy from the get-go.
Despite a relatively poor start, the additions of Danilo, Kyle Walker and notably Ederson made City comfortable in defence, and dangerous in attack, leading to Guardiola's first Premier League title. Ederson's distribution helped City avoid the counter press, and the inverted full backs and overloaded attack meant the team averaged a ridiculous 71.9% of possession per 90.
The next season saw Kevin De Bruyne ravaged by injury, meaning Guardiola had to slot Bernardo and David Silva into the '8' role, whilst attacking focus came through the wings from Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane, leading to 47 goal contributions, and a second league title in a row.
Two more seasons followed, incorporating a box midfield and a false nine to continue the evolution of his tactics, but the two biggest changes have occured in recent seasons. The signing of Norweigan Erling Haaland meant City had their first out-an-out striker since the legendary striker, Sergio Aguero. Guardiola had to learn to accommodate his finishing ability.
Having a physical machine like Haaland not only increases their goal tally, but no Premier League defender has managed to get grips with the strength of the Norweigan. This resists any unwanted attention, and more often than not sees Manchester City break through tight defences with the ability to get the ball to Haaland, and take advantage of any opportunity.
Additionally, the change to move John Stones up into the midfield has made City even more elite. The Englishman's positional awareness and range of passing has been exploited to provide both defensive and attacking threat at the same time, dominating possession and allowing Rodri to become a goalscoring aerial threat, adding another dimension to Guardiola's tactic.
As a result, City won their deserved first Champions League title last year, representing just how far the Citizens have come under Guardiola. Just one point behind their opponents on Sunday, their trip to Anfield is a prime chance to take the lead in the Premier League, and establish their intention to win their sixth title under Guardiola's elite management.
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Head to Head: What can we expect from Sunday?
The history between Klopp and Guardiola has been extensive, since the early stages of their career. Both managers were on the opposite sides of the 'Der Klassiker', with Guardiola, managing Bayern Munich at the time, prevailing over seven fixtures against Borussia Dortmund, with four victories to Klopps three.
But since their switch to England, Klopp has began to take victory more often. After a win for both and a draw in the first three fixtures between the two, Klopp took three in a row in 2018. This included a double in the Champions League quarter final, with Liverpool winning 3-0 and 2-1 across two legs.
Klopp also managed three in a row in 2022, defeating Guardiola in the FA Cup semis, Community Shield and the Premier League, but since that run, Guardiola has won two more battles between the pair, with this years Premier League fixture ending in a 1-1 draw. With the teams seperated by just one point, a win is going to be crucial for both managers.
Both Klopp and Guardiola have made their marks at their clubs, with some of the best tactics and squads ever produced in world football having been produced under their tutelage. With it being the last clash between the pair for the foreseeable future, let us hope that this match is worthy of being the potential decider.
Liverpool vs Manchester City kicks off at 3:45pm GMT on Sunday 10th March, and can be watched on platforms that stream the Premier League.