Liverpool will play their first fa cup game of the 2023/24 season on sunday, but it promises to be a difficult match for the reds. Jurgen klopp and his squad are on a trip to face arsenal at the emirates stadium, bringing their three-game winless streak against the gunners to an end. Since joining liverpool in 2015, klopp has helped revolutionize the club, but the fa cup hasn’t always been his highest priority. Liverpool has only made it to the quarterfinals during german rule, winning the tournament in 2022. But how does klopp’s fa cup record compare to that of other premier league top coaches pep guardiola and mikel arteta?
PEP GUARDIOLA’S FA CUP RECORD
Despite arriving in england earlier than klopp, manchester city boss has played more fa cup matches than klopp. Guardiola has won 36 fa cup matches, including 30 since his debut in the competition in 2017, losing five and drawing one of his other matches. Guardiola has only two fa cup trophies to his name, demonstrating the brutality of knockout football. The spaniard claimed the trophy in 2019, his second triumph in the final, winning 2-1 over manchester united. Guardiola, on the other hand, didn’t triumph in his first match against klopp in the fa cup. Liverpool defeated man city 3-2 in the semi-finals at wembley stadium after winning the trophy in 2022 and eventually beating chelsea in the final.
MIKEL ARTETA’S FA CUP RECORD
Arsenal boss arteta is a little inexperienced in the fa cup, behind guardiola and klopp, but he has still managed to lift the trophy during his time in north london. Arteta has won the fa cup once, including as man city’s assistant manager, with the gunners, who won in 2020 after beating guardiola’s cityzens in the semi-finals before winning the trophy at wembley against chelsea. Man city did win the final last season against arsenal, winning 1-0 in the fourth round against the gunners. Arteta has won eight out of 11 fa cup matches, while losing three. He and klopp will compete in the competition for the first time on sunday.
JURGEN KLOPP’S FA CUP RECORD
Klopp’s fa cup record, as we’ve already mentioned, leaves a lot to be desired. The 56-year-old has won 24 games in the competition, only winning half of his fa cup matches. Klopp has drawn five and lost seven of the others. Liverpool has suffered a string of disappointing losses in the competition, including losses to wolverhampton wanderers (2017), a championship side, and west bromwich albion (2018) at anfield. In truth, klopp hasn’t played full-strength teams in the early rounds of the competition, but that doesn’t mean that the club’s resources are lacking. For liverpool manager, there have also been draws with exeter city (2016), plymouth argyle (2017), and shrewsbury town (2020). Klopp’s record may not be much better this season as arsenal advance to the third round, but the former borussia dortmund boss wants his team to be more competitive than in previous seasons. Nevertheless, it’s worth remembering that klopp has still a fa cup trophy in his cabinet, as do a number of liverpool managers of the past.
