Jurgen Klopp vs Frank Lampard: Liverpool and Chelsea bosses created Premier League’s fiercest managerial rivalry in a touchline spat – now it could match Ferguson vs Wenger
There have been some brilliantly feisty rivalries between Premier League managers over the years.
Perhaps the most iconic was Sir Alex Ferguson's relationship with Arsene Wenger.
The Frenchman's arrival in north London in 1996 proved to be the catalyst for the strongest challenge to United’s dominance of the newly branded Premier League, with the two clubs exchanging nine successive league titles between them from then and 2004.
A mesmerising FA Cup semi-final in 1999, the ‘Battle of Old Trafford’ and ‘Pizza-gate’ were three of the most memorable meetings between the two powerhouses of the English game.
But there has been other notable rivalries in the Premier League's modern history, too.
Jose Mourinho has shared frosty relations with dozens of managers over the years, most notably Wenger, Rafael Benitez, and Antonio Conte.
Now, however, a new rivalry is blessing the top-flight.
An intense war of words between Chelsea boss Frank Lampard and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has emerged.
The pair have frequently come to blows in recent months. But how did it all begin and what have they said? talkSPORT.com looks closely...
That Anfield spat
It all started at Liverpool's home ground when Lampard lost his temper for the first time as Chelsea boss when his side were defeated 5-3 by the Premier League champions.
The Blues' boss was furious a foul was awarded when Sadio Mane went down outside the area - a free-kick which was subsequently buried by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
His expletive-ridden rant at Klopp and his coaching staff came after a member of the Reds' coaching staff allegedly told Lampard to 'shut up.'
'It's not a f***ing foul,' Lampard yelled at Klopp, who proceeded to tell him to 'calm down'.
"You can f*** off and all," Lampard shouted. "Only title you've ever won and you think you can give it the big one, f*** off.'"
'No regrets'
In the calm after the storm, Lampard said he regretted swearing during the touchline bust-up, but refused to apologise for his passionate defence of his side.
"In terms of the language I used, I do regret that," he said. "These things get played a lot on social media. I have two young daughters on social media, but in terms of my passion to defend my team, then no [regrets].
"I would have had a beer with Jurgen Klopp to toast their success. There were things I didn't like from their bench, not Jurgen Klopp, but their bench. Emotions run high in this game."
'He has a lot to learn'
Klopp, meanwhile, reminded Lampard any feuds are over after the final whistle is blown.
"Frank was in a really competitive mood and I respect that a lot," Klopp said. "You can pretty much, from my point of view, say what you want in a situation like that. For me, it's after the game. It's completely over. I have said a lot in the past because it is pure emotion. He came here to win the game or get a point to make sure of Champions League qualification. I respect that a lot.
"But what he has to learn is to finish it with the final whistle and he didn't do that. Speaking after it like this is not OK. Frank has to learn. He has a lot of time to learn, he is a young coach. But he has to learn. During a game words are used – no problem at all. But at the final whistle, all the things he said... we are not arrogant. We are pretty much the opposite of arrogant in a moment like this."
Feud reignites again
After a couple months of calm, the feud between the two managers reignited once more when Klopp insisted Liverpool were 'not run by oligarchs' and couldn't afford to spend like Chelsea in the market.
The Blues have spent in excess of £200m this summer on six new arrivals, while the Reds have only seen full-back Kostas Tsimikas arrive at the club - a deal financed by the sale of Dejan Lovren to Zenit Saint Petersburg.
"We live in a world at the moment with a lot of uncertainty," Klopp said.
"For some clubs it seems less important how uncertain the future is. Owned by countries, owned by oligarchs, that's the truth. We are a different kind of club. We got to the Champions League final two years ago, we won it last year.
"We became Premier League champions last season by being the club we are. We cannot change it overnight and say: 'Now we want to behave like Chelsea'. They are signing a lot of players. That can be an advantage, but that means they have to fit together.
"You cannot bring in the 11 best players in the world and just hope a week later they play the best football. It's about working on the training ground. That will probably be an advantage for us. We've worked quite a while with each other."
Lampard responds
Let's be honest, he wasn't going to let that one go.
"I was less annoyed with it, I found it slightly amusing," he said. "You can go through the Liverpool players — Van Dijk, Alisson, Fabinho, Keita, Mane, Salah. Incredible players that came at a very high price. Liverpool have done it over a period of time.
"What we have done is come off the back of a ban and probably try to address the situation to help improve us. We know that Liverpool have spent at a high level. We know they have an incredible coach. We know they have incredible players. The really smart thing Liverpool have done is believe in their coach and believe in their system for a number of years. It's a great story but it's a story where they've spent money on players."
With no fans in the stadiums for the foreseeable future, maybe a a rivalry between two of the league's most high profile managers is just what the top flight needs.
Long may it continue.
This weekend you can hear FOUR Premier League games exclusively live on talkSPORT, including Manchester United v Crystal Palace, Arsenal v West Ham, and Southampton v Tottenham