Klopp’s Liverpool side are currently on a 39 game unbeaten streak that dates all the way back to last January. This current run counts across two seasons however, so they have another 16 games to go before they can count themselves amongst esteemed company in Arsenal as accomplishing an unbeaten season.
All the major hurdles that have crossed their pasts so far this season have been bounded over by the Reds. There was the fixture against Premier League holders Man City which they won comfortably; then there was the hectic Christmas fixture with a trip to the Club World Cup to attend for; more recently there was the one-two of facing Jose Mourinho’s Spurs side away and age-old nemesis Manchester United. Captain Jordan Henderson led his side two victories in both of these games and they now sit 13 points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand.
One of Manchester United’s and Sir Alex Ferguson’s greatest ever sides was his 98-99 squad, who go down in history as the team to achieve the most successful season in Manchester United’s history, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League all in one season.
The question we all want to know, like the famous playground competition goes – who would win if they played against each other?
Now it is difficult to judge how two teams would play against each other without seeing them actually play against each other, never mind the fact that both teams exist in different generations and there isn’t one of the original Man U squad still playing today. All we can do is take alook at the stats.
So far this season we are 22 games in. Liverpool have not lost a game yet and have drawn just once, away to Manchester United. They have 64 points to their name. At this same stage of the 98-99 season, United were top of the league but points wise they were faring much differently. They had accrued just 41 points by this time. Other teams were much closer to the red’s tally; Manchester City’s centurion season were sitting on 62 points after 22 games and Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles were on 52 points.
Many have been discussing whether the Premier League is not as strong as it once was, especially with big teams like Manchester United and Arsenal going through a difficult transitional period after losing long standing managers. Pep Guardiola’s Man City have also struggled to replicate their formidable form this season, already drawing 3 games and losing 5, including losses home and away to Wolves, away at bottom placed Norwich and at home to Spurs at the start of the season.