LIVERPOOL and Manchester City’s titanic battle over the last few seasons has made for gripping viewing.

But despite spurring each other on to new heights in terms of quality and drama, the duo’s tussle still has a way to go before it is viewed as the Premier League’s greatest rivalry.

That is according to the results of the Sky Bet’s latest Fan Hope Survey, in which more than 1500 supporters of the 20 top-flight clubs were asked to name the best rivalry since the division came into being.

Liverpool did figure in the most popular choice - but it was City’s neighbours Manchester United’s battle with the Reds that ranked a distant first with 30 per cent of the vote.

Next best was the Manchester derby (18 per cent), Everton vs Liverpool (12 per cent) and the North London derby (10 per cent).

Liverpool vs Manchester City, the title dogfight of modern times featuring Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, was ranked sixth, behind Arsenal vs Manchester United and just ahead of Newcastle v Sunderland.

Crystal Palace v Brighton - a rivalry few supporters outside of the two clubs actually understand - surprisingly took three per cent of the vote.

The fact that City and United feature so heavily in the answers to that question explains why Manchester was voted the UK’s greatest footballing city.

London came second - not a shock given Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, West Ham, Brentford, Fulham and Crystal Palace all hail from the capital - followed by Liverpool.

Supporters may have begrudgingly picked Manchester for that category, but the town’s two clubs were also voted the teams supporters most hope will underperform.

United, possibly owing to their dominance throughout the nineties and noughties, were top with 20 per cent, followed by big-spending City on 15 per cent and then Liverpool on 13.

The clubs deemed most inoffensive were Wolves, Brentford, Southampton, West Ham, Leicester and Fulham who all took home one per cent.

The debate football fans love to have over which set of supporters is the most passionate has also been settled, with Liverpool top, followed by Newcastle, Leeds and Palace.

Bournemouth, along with South-Coast neighbours Southampton and fellow promoted side Fulham, came bottom of the list.

Leicester have perhaps the kindest fans in that they are most likely to support other British teams in Europe, followed by Fulham, Palace, Aston Villa, City and Nottingham Forest.

Miserable Manchester United fans were least likely - hardly a surprise when arch-rivals Liverpool and City are doing so well!