Micah Richards believes that one factor could be a significant help to Liverpool during the run-in to the Premier League title race.
The Reds face a pivotal showdown at home to Manchester City next Sunday, and they’ll be seeking to preserve an imperious record which has seen Jurgen Klopp’s side drop only four points at Anfield all season.
Speaking on Sky Sports after Pep Guardiola’s team beat local rivals United yesterday, the pundit acknowledged that LFC’s stadium carries an ‘aura’ which intimidates even a team which won the treble last year.
Richards said: “Anfield’s a tough place to go. I don’t know what it is about the place. You go in there and the atmosphere, the fans – for some reason they’ve just got an aura around there, and even going back to my time, we never won at Anfield.
“You see Pep’s record, one of the best in the business, with just one win in eight, so it’s going to be tough.”
A freakish six-game losing run in the early weeks of 2021 aside, Klopp has turned Anfield into the definition of a fortress, with Liverpool beaten in just one Premier League match at the venue in front of fans since April 2017.
Their near-perfection at home has helped to fuel another title challenge this season, and if we can repeat the 1-0 win over City from their last visit in October 2022, it’d represent a massive statement which could prove decisive in the hunt for domestic supremacy.
The Reds will have to be close to flawless in their away fixtures also, but there’s no question that their record at Anfield makes it a very tall order for even the best teams in world football to get a result there.
You can view Richards’ comments below (from 1:49), via Sky Sports Premier League on YouTube: