Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described meeting Liverpool in his 1,000th game as a manager as "the destiny of the universe" after their shared domination of English football in recent years.
The past eight Premier League titles have gone to the two superpowers, with City claiming the crown six times in that period, including a historic sequence of four in a row.
City and Liverpool meet at Etihad Stadium on Sunday (16:30 GMT) with the possibility that their Premier League destiny this season will be heavily shaped by the outcome.
To add a twist to the tale, these two long-time Premier League pacesetters now form part of a chasing pack.