17 February 2024 , 08:00
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Jose Mourinho isn't everyone's favourite person on Merseyside.
The former Manchester United manager and Chelsea boss - who was in charge when Steven Gerrard's infamous slip saw the Blues beat Liverpool and, subsequently, Man City win the title - has largely been something of a thorn in the side of those at Anfield.
But back in 2019, the Special One felt compelled to leap to Liverpool's defence after Vincent Kompany suggested they wouldn't win the Premier League title that season due to what had come before - City always fighting back when it mattered.
Speaking on Sky Sports ahead of Liverpool's clash with Man City that season, an assured Kompany said: "In this case, if you look at the last decade or so, there have been numerous times where Liverpool were top of the league and there were numerous times where City were behind as well..."
Chiming in, Mourinho quickly pointed out that while Kompany was correct that Liverpool hadn't tasted Premier League success before, they had just won the Champions League. This, he suggested, might be crucial.
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"But City was the best team," insisted Mourinho. "When I gave you the title, you never told me thank you. When I gave you the title by winning here and you didn't even call me to say thank you, you were the best team."
Adding weight to his view, Mourinho said: "They were not the best, they were there, they were almost there, but you were the best team, at this moment I don't think there is that difference in power.
Liverpool won a first Premier League title that season"Even in terms of statures, if statures play something. You are the champions of England but they are the champions of Europe. They know how to win, they know how to cope with the pressure, so for me, the game today is very, very important. Because if the distances are three points or six points, it is still very open, but if the difference is nine points, goodbye."
As fate would have it, Liverpool faced the pressure head-on and beat Manchester City 3-1, putting them nine points ahead. Mourinho said after the game: "If you are behind [in the title race], you have to feel like you can reach them. If you are top of the league with a big advantage, you have to feel like it is not over.
"But I am not there, I'm here. And here, from my position, I think it's done unless something dramatic happens in terms of an injury situation that breaks the team. But I think the team is a complete puzzle.
"I feel the way they play is adapted to the qualities of the players. City are capable of winning seven, eight, nine matches in a row, but I can't see how Liverpool can lose this advantage of nine points to them."
As it turned out, Mourinho was right on the money, with Pep Guardiola's Citizens were later beaten by Chelsea, which handed Liverpool their first Premier League title.
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