Jürgen Klopp’s Premier League legacy deserves far more respect.
When you look back at Liverpool’s incredible title battles with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, the numbers almost feel unreal. This was not a team collecting ordinary points totals. Klopp built a side capable of pushing one of the strongest teams in Premier League history to the absolute limit.
In 2018/19, Liverpool finished with 97 points and just one league defeat, yet still ended the season as runners-up to City’s 98 points. It remains the highest points total ever recorded by a team that did not win the Premier League. (Premier League)
Then came 2019/20.
Liverpool responded in spectacular fashion, turning frustration into motivation and finally ending the club’s 30-year wait for the league title. Klopp’s side collected 99 points, winning 32 of their 38 matches and producing one of the greatest title-winning campaigns English football had seen. (Premier League)
But they were not finished.
In 2021/22, Liverpool once again reached extraordinary levels, finishing with 92 points and pushing Manchester City all the way to the final day. City eventually finished one point ahead, leaving Klopp’s men second once again. (Premier League)
Think about that for a moment:
97 points — 2nd
99 points — 1st
92 points — 2nd
That is 288 points across three remarkable campaigns.
And the context makes it even more impressive. The Premier League itself identifies the Klopp vs Guardiola rivalry as one of the defining managerial battles of the era, with both Liverpool and City repeatedly pushing each other to extraordinary standards. (Premier League)
Liverpool’s 97-point season alone would have been enough to win the league in almost every other Premier League campaign. Instead, they faced a Manchester City side collecting 98 points. The following season, Liverpool went even higher and reached 99.
This is why Klopp’s Liverpool deserves to be remembered not simply for the trophies they won, but for the incredible standard they maintained.
They were relentless.
They were consistent.
They were powerful.
And they forced Manchester City to be almost perfect.
Klopp ultimately delivered Liverpool the Premier League title, the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup and more, creating one of the most successful eras in the club’s modern history.
So the debate remains fascinating:
Was Klopp’s Liverpool the greatest team in Premier League history to finish second?
The numbers certainly give Liverpool fans plenty of ammunition for that conversation.
