Micah Richards has claimed that the current battle for the Premier League title includes the two strongest teams in the competition’s history.
Manchester City go into the final few months of the season six points ahead of Liverpool, looking for their fourth title in five seasons.
Jurgen Klopp’s side meanwhile are looking to add to the league they won in 2020, along with finishing as runners-up the season before.
City icon Richards, who was part of the side that won the title back in 2012, believes the two title challengers are stronger than any Manchester United teams built by Sir Alex Ferguson, or the Arsenal side which went unbeaten under Arsene Wenger.
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“Maybe it is because we are living through this rivalry we don't fully appreciate what we are seeing but I've had the feeling for some time that we're watching the greatest teams of the modern era and the numbers they are producing put it all into context,” Richards explained in his Mail Sport column.
In order to rank previous winners of the Premier League, the Sky Sports pundit looked at how many points each had accrued in a four-season spell.
Richards started with the years between 1996 and 2000, which saw Arsenal win the double and United an unprecedented treble.
During that period, Arsenal won 297 points, with United ahead at 322. In the following four-season sample in which the Gunners won another double, as well as going an entire season unbeaten won 323 points, with United winning two titles and three points more
The next quartet of titles were split between Jose Mourinho ’s Chelsea and Ferguson’s Red Devils, winning 354 and 336 points respectively.
But all of those tallies look set to be beaten by the modern-day Liverpool and City sides, sitting on 325 and 331 with a third of the campaign remaining.
“I fully expect Guardiola's team to get enough wins to surpass that Chelsea total over the same period. I anticipate Jurgen Klopp's team will do the same,” Richards continued.
“We all thought after Wenger arrived that we would never see football played in this country the way Arsenal did in that era.
“I grew up supporting them and Thierry Henry will forever be my favourite player — along with the Brazilian Ronaldo — but I recognise how Guardiola has changed the face of the English game.”
He added: “I appreciate people will argue differently. We all have our favourite teams and players, as well as eras that are special to us.
“We look back fondly to reminisce and the natural instinct is to think that things were better in the past.
“But I am in no doubt we are witnessing the top two teams the Premier League has seen. There are three trophies up for grabs from here — I believe City and Liverpool will win them all.”
