Liverpool ace Gini Wijnaldum wants to repeat history to deny Pep Guardiola’s Man City

Pep Guardiola’s scintillating side are on an incredible run of 33 unbeaten matches in domestic football, everyone seemingly powerless to stop them.

This afternoon, though, big numbers can be thrown back at City as they play away to a Liverpool team blossoming under charismatic boss Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool’s dazzling style has sent them on their own 17-match unbeaten spell in all competitions. Even more significant, perhaps, is that Anfield is their fortress against City, who have not won a League match at the stadium since 2003, and only once in 37 years.

All clubs have bogey grounds, and this is the worst for Manchester City.

They lost there last season with Guardiola in charge, a 1-0 defeat to a goal from Gigi Wijnaldum.

The Liverpool midfielder believes his team can repeat the victory, but relying on their own quality rather than the power of superstition.

“The players don’t really care about history because every game is a new game,” says Wijnaldum.

“Anything can happen. I think City now have a better team than they had in the past. Every game is difficult and I don’t think it’s good to look back at history.

“There is no pressure from that. The only pressure the manager puts on is that we have to give 100 per cent and try to use the quality we have.”

This will be the first Premier League match for Liverpool since their two major transfer deals, one in and one out.

The arrival of £75million Virgil Van Dijk will stiffen a vulnerable defence. The exit of Philippe Coutinho in a staggering British record £142million will place more responsibility on midfielders like Wijanldum to provide match-winning moments.

“It’s a little strange,” says Wijnaldum, “and I think we still have to realise that he has gone.

“But it doesn’t change our mentality. We always want to have a result against any team we play, and this is a good time to get it because all the other teams are near each other. A good result for us would keep up our confidence.”

What Wijnaldum does concede is that the timing of Coutinho’s exit is good fortune for City.

“Yeah, I think every top team is probably happy he leaves to another club in another country,” says the Liverpool ace.

“I think that’s also luck, yeah. That’s how it us. But they might be going to have the same problem in a few years, or maybe next season. You must not think a lot about it because you can’t control it.”

How will Liverpool compete against the brilliance of City? In their showdown at the Etihad earlier this season, Klopp’s men took the game to Guardiola’s side with rare vigour and were the better team until Sadio Mane was sent off for a high boot in the face of City keeper Edison.

Then they slumped to a 5-0 thrashing.

Wijanldum was giving nothing away about tactics, but revealed his admiration for City’s play this season, saying: “I think they are more consistent than before, and they don’t give away games that they have to win.

“Maybe they have had more luck as well, but the way of winning goals isn’t only about luck; it’s also their quality.

“They stay focused until the last minute because they know they can make a goal. They have that confidence. Week in, week out they have good performances — and even if the performances aren’t that good, they still win their games.

“I think that is the big difference between them and us — and between them and all the top teams.”