Where are they now? The Liverpool XI that dismantled Man City in Jurgen Klopp’s debut season
Jurgen Klopp’s fifth league game as Liverpool boss was against Manchester City and the Reds managed to claim a historic 4-1 triumph over Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
Funnily enough, that game was also the last time that Liverpool were victorious over Man City at the Etihad in the Premier League.
While the Reds have enjoyed some memorable moments against City in the Premier League of late, the Etihad has proven to be somewhat of a bogey ground for Klopp – although the Reds memorably won there in the Champions League since then.
We’ve revisited the Liverpool XI that beat Man City in November 2015 and have checked out where all of the players are today.
GK: Simon Mignolet
The Belgian goalkeeper had his ups and downs in a Liverpool shirt, but he did manage to rack up over 200 appearances for the club, which is no easy feat.
After leaving Liverpool in 2019, Mignolet returned to Belgium to play for Club Brugge where he still plays to this day. The 36-year-old has won four trophies since signing for the Belgian club, including three league titles.
RB: Nathaniel Clyne
Prior to some serious injuries which derailed his Liverpool career, Clyne was a consistent performer for the Reds. The English full-back had one of his best seasons for Liverpool in 2015-16 as he looked like a great signing from Crystal Palace.
Due to injuries and the rise of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Clyne eventually lost his starting spot and left the club in 2020 to rejoin Crystal Palace where he still plays today.
CB: Martin Skrtel
The ultimate Premier League hardman. Skrtel enjoyed nine seasons with Liverpool and had plenty of memorable moments along the way.
After leaving the club in 2016, the defender had short spells in Turkey, Italy and Slovakia before retiring from the professional game in 2022. You can still catch him playing amateur football though for FK Hajskala Raztocno who play in Slovakia’s eighth tier.
“I actually play as the No 10,” Skrtel told The Athletic when discussing his amateur career. “I played a few games as a striker and got a few goals. Now I’ve dropped a bit little deeper. I basically get to run where I want. A free role — a bit like Lionel Messi!”
We also can’t believe he’s now rocking a full head of hair.
🇸🇰⚽️ Martin Škrtel has one incredible match shirt collection! 😍 pic.twitter.com/ECU1B7mplt
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) November 23, 2023
CB: Dejan Lovren
The Croatian defender once branded himself as “one of the best defenders in the world” which was quite an outlandish statement. He did get his hands on the Premier League and Champions League, although he only played a bit-part role in those trophies.
In January last year, Lovren returned to France to join Lyon for the second time. Having only started in eight league matches this season, he’s not been a regular starter of late.
LB: Alberto Moreno
The loveable Spanish full-back spent five years at Anfield, but he was quickly fazed out of the starting XI under Klopp. He has found a bit more consistency since joining Villarreal in 2019 and he’s now racked up over 100 appearances for the club.
Moreno was part of the Liverpool squad that lost the Europa League final in 2016, but luckily he managed to get his hands on the trophy with Villarreal a few years later.
QUIZ: Can you name every Spaniard to play for Liverpool in the Premier League?
CM: James Milner
A Premier League legend in every sense of the word. Milner finally called it quits on his Liverpool career in the summer, but he is still going strong for Brighton today at 38.
Milner currently ranks second in the all-time Premier League appearances list, only trailing Gareth Barry. By the time he does retire, we reckon he’ll sit top of that illustrious list.
CM: Lucas Leiva
Liverpool fans will always have time for Lucas. The Brazilian midfielder quickly became a cult hero at Anfield as he spent 10 years playing in the Premier League.
He played out his final days as a professional in Brazil with Gremio and was forced to retire last year after a heart issue was detected.
“I confess that it came from greater forces, but I look back and can only be thankful for the career I built,” Lucas wrote in his retirement post.
“In 2007 I transferred to the giant [that is] Liverpool, which was part of my life for 10 years. It is with great pride that I can say that today Liverpool is my home. I’m proud to be an English citizen and along with my family; I’m [a] Scouser!”
CM: Emre Can
The German midfielder probably regrets leaving Liverpool when he did as the Reds went on to win seven trophies in the five years following his departure.
After a fairly unremarkable spell with Juventus, Can joined Borussia Dortmund in 2020 and still plays for the German outfit today. He also scores the occasional worldie.
READ: Emre Can has scored the sh*ttest halfway line goal we’ve ever seen
RW: Adam Lallana (Kolo Toure, ’90)
Had it not been for injuries, Lallana could’ve had a spectacular career at Anfield. He still enjoyed plenty of high points in a Liverpool shirt though and he is still going strong at 35 for Brighton today.
Toure replaced Lallana as a late substitute in their game against Man City, being introduced in the 90th minute. The Ivory Coast defender had a brief stint with Celtic, before announcing his retirement in 2017.
He has since gone into coaching and has worked at Celtic and Leicester as a first-team coach. He also spent a short time as Wigan Athletic boss, although he only lasted nine games and failed to win a single match.
ST: Roberto Firmino (Christian Benteke, ’77)
The Brazilian forward scored his first goal for Liverpool during their 4-1 triumph against Man City. Under Klopp, Firmino quickly became a crucial player as he won almost every trophy on offer during his eight-year stint with the club.
After an emotional departure in the summer, the 32-year-old joined Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ahli on a free transfer and now plays alongside the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Allan Saint-Maximin.
Benteke never left the same legacy at Anfield as Firmino as the £32.5million signing struggled to live up to the hype. Although he has managed to rekindle his goalscoring touch of late, now playing for DC United in MLS.
LW: Philippe Coutinho (Jordon Ibe, ’68)
During his Liverpool days, Coutinho was an absolute joy to watch. Despite the occasional glimpse of quality, the Brazilian playmaker hasn’t managed to reach the same heights since leaving in 2018.
Following a disappointing spell with Barcelona, Coutinho joined Aston Villa and had some success in his early days before fading into the background under Unai Emery. At 31-years-old, he is now on loan in Qatar with Al-Duhail.
Similarly, Ibe has had his struggles since leaving Liverpool. The 27-year-old has been open about his mental health struggles and has spent some time out of the game.
The winger finally made his return to football last year, signing for National League side Ebbsfleet United.
“I just want to get back out there, show people what I can do again and play football,” Ibe told the club website.
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