Former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has admitted that their last day title victory last season felt sweeter after the heartbreak Liverpool fans went through.
City and Liverpool were locked in an intense battle for the Premier League title all last season and City pipped them to it by one point on the final day.
Kompany has now outlined what made the title victory stand out in City's domestic treble winning season.
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"I had a good friend who was at Liverpool for their game against Wolves that day," the Belgian said in his new book which is being serialised in The Sun.
City were playing Brighton on the final day and 'The Seagulls' took the lead on the day.
Whereas Liverpool were winning their game against Wolves meaning the title would have been coming to Anfield for the first time.
"After we had won and we'd celebrated, I rang him to ask how their crowd had reacted when Brighton took the lead against us.
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"He told me it was like a party inside the ground and that some of their supporters were crying in the stands saying, 'We're going to do it'.
"When I heard that, I realised it was worth us having a scare just to spoil their day that little bit."
City went on to win 4-1 at the Amex Stadium and seal their second consecutive Premier League title.
Kompany will join the Sky Sports panel as a pundit for tomorrow's showdown between Liverpool and City.
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Jurgen Klopp's side are currently six points ahead of City at the top of the league and are yet to lose this season.
It's a rivalry that has grown in the last few years as both sides tussle for supremacy as the top team in England.
One key incident is credited with sending the rivalry into overdrive.
Liverpool fans caused damage to the Man City team coach as it arrived at Anfield for the two club's Champions League quarter-final in April 2018 which Liverpool went on to win.
The incident is widely regarded as the flashpoint that turned the sides from top four rivals to bitter enemies.
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Kompany also discussed this incident in his book, stating:
"The rivalry increased and they (Liverpool) became our No. 1 team to beat,"
"The mood among City fans towards these games against Liverpool had changed.
"None of us were sitting on that coach saying they were scared. But it was very unpleasant and should never have been allowed to happen.
"I do think that incident changed the way that a lot of neutrals looked at Liverpool. To give them some credit, they had also become the hardest team to win against. But I could see it becoming a deep rivalry.
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"But it changed the way we saw games against them from that moment. It became even more important to us to win our games against Liverpool."
All eyes are on Anfield for this Sunday's huge clash.
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