City on a history path amid ‘red-flaring’ Liverpool threat

Man City boss Pep Guardiola (R) giving instructions on the touchline at a past match [Photo: Courtesy]

Pep Guardiola has urged Manchester City to underline their intention to make history this season when the runaway Premier League leaders travel to Liverpool today.

Guardiola’s side have turned the title race into a lengthy coronation party after powering 15 points clear of second placed Manchester United and 18 ahead of fourth placed Liverpool.

Barring an epic collapse, City will spend the rest of the season focused on the historic implications of their remarkable campaign.

If unbeaten City can leave Anfield unscathed, they will have only 15 more matches in which to avoid defeat as they aim to emulate the achievements of Arsenal in 2003-04 and Preston in 1888-89, who both went an entire top-flight season without losing.

“Of course if you want to achieve something that’s good and win titles you have to win these kind of games,” Guardiola said.

“This season at Stamford Bridge we were able to do that but still we have to go to Anfield, to Emirates and against Tottenham.

“We still have tough teams away, there is still a lot of things to do. For us it’s a real test, going to Anfield, one of the most prestigious stadiums and teams in the world so we’ll try to put on a good performance, it’s a big game for us.

“Liverpool is such an important game, to realise again if we are able to do big things in this season, in important stages, in the Champions League.”

Becoming England’s third top-flight “invincibles” isn’t the only milestone fuelling City’s charge.

There have only been five longer unbeaten streaks in the top flight than City’s current run of 30 matches.

Arsenal’s 49 games in 2003-2004 is currently top, followed by Nottingham Forest’s 42 in 1977-1978, Chelsea with 40 in 2004-2005, Leeds’s 34 in 1968-1969 and Liverpool’s 31 in 1987-1988.

City, still in the hunt for four trophies this term, could also become the first team to win a top-flight match at Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United in the same season since Wimbledon in 1986-87.

But to do that City must end their wretched run at Anfield, where they last won in 2003.