Danny Murphy says Liverpool's rivalry with Manchester City will never reach the level of 'hatred' between the Reds and Manchester United.
In the Premier League era the form of the three clubs involved in this debate has seen a shift in the balance of English football. Liverpool were the dominant force of the seventies and eighties, United in the nineties and noughties then finally City have taken the mantle for at least the last six years.
During the latter's spell as serial trophy winners, the Reds have bounced back to become closest challengers. United, meanwhile, have languished outside of the top four many times since their last title win 10 years ago, struggling to put in place a strategy to compete with the best.
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The fact that again both City and Liverpool occupy first and second place in the league heading into their next meeting on Saturday has reignited the debate that their being in direct competition with one another is the top rivalry in the country.
However Murphy, previewing the match on talkSPORT, was quick to shut down such suggestions. "No," he abruptly replied when asked by host Jim White if the Liverpool-City rivalry has surpassed the Liverpool-United rivalry.
"I think there's been some bigger games because they've been fighting for the title in recent years, the game has become more pivotal and monumental in the moment, but the rivalry of Liverpool and Man U will always be greater than between Liverpool and Man City.
"Irrelevant of what is going on in the league, there is more hatred there. There is more rivalry - goes back decades,
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