Liverpool and City are two of the most powerful teams to have ever graced our game... it has the makings of a box-office rivalry

revenue due to the pandemic. That, more than anything, is testimony to Liverpool’s greatness this season. I think a lot of clubs will have been panicked by Jurgen Klopp’s dominance. You look at City’s transfer profiling and they have bought young players with potential for a few years now. Quality yes, but always younger, with room for development. But I can see them going out and buying Kalidou Koulibaly for big money, even though he’s 29.

Central defence has been their weakness this season and they need to address it. I’m convinced they will address it.

That will see them come back even stronger. That will see a challenge to Liverpool that the football world can relish. And I think it will take both of them beyond the rest.

I know what it’s like to try and catch the “big two”. My Liverpool team came close a few times in the 90s and early 2000s, but Manchester United and Arsenal were on a different level.

I remember speaking to Gary Neville once and he told me he felt on our day we could beat them, beat anyone, but his United team had a consistency we never had. He’s right. That consistency is so hard to maintain. We never could do it.

I don’t see United, for all their quality up front (and they have as good a forward line as anyone) making the step up next year. Nor Chelsea either. And the rest are miles behind.

Liverpool against City, though. It’s one for the ages. Klopp against Guardiola, the two greatest managers of their generation.

Two teams who are uniquely matched. Two giants of the modern game.

If football without fans can feel a little bleak, then that should carry us through to the other side.

ONLY ONES IN WITH A SHOUT Two of football’s – Pep greatest bosses and Guardiola of City Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp KOUL AS YOU LIKE City will go for Koulibaly to counter stars like Mo Salah

FAMOUS QUIP Fergie first coined the ‘perch’ remark