Former Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta has admitted he dreaded his trips to Liverpool and once pleaded for an Anfield hammering to stop.
The 37-year-old emerged victorious on just two occasions in his 12-year stint in the Premier League – both with Arsenal.
And the Man City assistant manager has never won at Anfield during his time at the Etihad club either, having lost three out of their four matches on Merseyside.
And speaking to Marca, Arteta has now revealed he once pleaded for a match to stop as the Gunners were hammered 5-1 by Liverpool in February 2014.
Asked whether he was surprised by Liverpool’s title challenge last season, the former Everton playmaker said: “No, because it is very difficult to beat them.
“Also, in my playing career, Anfield was the only ground where in which I had the feeling of ‘pájara’, of being stuck.
“It happened to me with Arsenal, and we conceded five… You say: ‘I do not know what’s going on, stop the game, please, because I do not know where I am’.
“It’s hard to explain, but it never happened to me anywhere other than Anfield.
“Barca surprise me by the form of some of their goals, but at Anfield you can concede five without knowing.
“Neither in Spain nor in Greece or Germany did I have that feeling. Not even in Old Trafford.”