In the past five years, Klopp and Pep's rivalry have largely determined the outcome of the league season but with Arsenal now in the picture, it opens up room for a lot of questions. After a stellar showing during the previous season that had all our traditional rivals band up to support Manchester City, it sort of feels like we just might be the new Liverpool.
Over the past couple of seasons, Manchester City has established themselves as a power house in England and Europe as a whole. However, despite all their successes on the pitch, there's a certain level of apathy that follows their triumphs.
In a way, it has become somewhat boring to watch them win but it's not in a "park the bus, you suck" way but just something that's not there. The "x-factor" as @deniskj would put it.
Alex Ferguson dominated the English league in pretty much the same way Pep is doing it but it never felt so pointless because of this old thing they call "tradition".
If we're being honest with ourselves, we'd accept that traditions are out of the way. Football is now one massive cash grab and all the pandering of old have been washed away by multiple streams of income.
In any case, there's still one higher level of apathy towards Manchester City that every other fan of the "traditional clubs" carry. It's gotten to the point that all of the usual faces (Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool) would gladly watch the Citizens win the league before seeing any of their usual rivals triumph.
It got so bad that last season @deniskj was among the Manchester United fans celebrating their City rival win an unprecedented treble but also praising Liverpool that clawed back a 2-2 draw at Anfield against Arsenal, fresh after they were walloped 7-0 by the Merseyside outfit.
Here's the thing though, I completely understand how rival fans feel because if I were in their shoes, I'd probably be doing the same. We're all tired of watching Manchester City win BUT if it's not Manchester City then it shouldn't be any of our rivals.
I won't term it inferiority complex even though we all actually are beneath City in terms of quality but it's a crab in a bucket situation and we're all shamelessly in it. I think it's more about being a "traditional" team that has laundered out image enough to make people believe that there are virtues we hold on to that transcend money.
In any case, being the new Liverpool means that we start the season as second favourites to chase the monster that Pep has created and for me, that's a victory on its own. If we can live up to the billing and keep pushing like Liverpool did, it means there's a UCL and Premiere league trophy waiting for us.
Dreaming is free and with a season that's full of promise, there's no reason not to. Until we meet again, up the Arsenal.
