Liverpool played Manchester City 18 times in the league across these nine seasons: seven wins, six draws, five defeats, 27 points. Take City out and all 27 go. What is left includes a season Liverpool never had for real: 2013/14, 81 points, champions without City and three clear of Arsenal.
Strictly, it is the free place. City finished first, Liverpool second, and when City leave everyone below moves up one. This time the place City leave is the top of the table.
Twice more the rebuilt table moves Liverpool into Europe. Sixth becomes fifth in 2010/11, and seventh becomes fifth in 2012/13: the Europa League place by league position both times. For real, Liverpool had no European football after either season.
Elsewhere, beating City turns against them. In 2014/15 the 2–1 win at Anfield in March comes off, 62 becomes 59 and Southampton pass them: sixth either way. In 2016/17 a 1–0 win and a 1–1 draw go, four points in all, and Liverpool stay fourth on 72 with Arsenal now two points above them. In 2015/16 they beat City home and away, 4–1 at the Etihad, their first league win there since 2008, and 3–0 at Anfield. Six points go, 60 becomes 54, and seventh is City’s place and no more.
2010/11
Fifth, and the Europa League
Liverpool had been under Kenny Dalglish since January when they beat City 3–0 at Anfield in April, the day of Andy Carroll’s first goals for the club. Without City that win goes, and its three points with it. The 3–0 defeat at City in August had earned nothing, so it changes nothing.
58 becomes 55. That is fifth of 19, six points behind Spurs in fourth, and the Europa League place by position. The real Liverpool finished sixth and had no European football in 2011/12.
2012/13
Past Everton on goal difference
Brendan Rodgers’s first season ended seventh on 61. Both games with City were 2–2, at Anfield in August and at the Etihad in February, and both points come off.
Liverpool finish on 59, level with Everton, and fifth on goal difference: +28 to +13. It is a real climb, one place beyond the free one, and it lands on the Europa League place. For real, Everton had just finished above Liverpool for a second season running, the first time since 1937.
2013/14
Champions, with the slip still in it
Rodgers’s side scored 101 league goals, 31 for Luis Suárez and 21 for Daniel Sturridge. Take City out and one afternoon goes: 13 April at Anfield, the 3–2 win that left Liverpool seven points clear of City, who had two games in hand. The 2–1 defeat at the Etihad on Boxing Day had earned nothing. 84 becomes 81, which is enough.
Nothing else in Liverpool’s season moves. Steven Gerrard still slips against Chelsea, Demba Ba still scores, and a 3–0 lead at Crystal Palace still ends 3–3. Even without their two City games, Liverpool’s 97 goals are the most in the league.
Gerrard captained the side in 34 league games. For real he finished runner-up with Liverpool three times and never won the Premier League; here one of those seconds becomes a first. Kolo Touré, who joined on a free from City in July 2013 and played 20 league games, sees his one title of these nine seasons move with him: from City in 2011/12, where he played 14, to Liverpool. James Milner played 31 league games for City that season. His real title stands. The rebuilt one goes to the club he joined in July 2015.