Liverpool vs Manchester City – Opposition Preview
By Daniel Ghorbal
At the start of the season, many pinpointed this clash between Liverpool and Manchester as one which would be pivotal in the title race this season. The reality for Liverpool is far from that at the minute, as they come into the game a staggering 13 points behind the side they have gone toe-to-toe with in recent seasons. A combination of slack defending, poor structure and injuries have been costly for the reds thus far, leaving them in a situation where three points against City are a must if they are to have any ambitions of being title challengers this season.
Since the Community Shield at the beginning of the season, Manchester City are yet to lose a game and are looking like the immovable force that everyone expected. Erling Haaland has dominated headlines for obvious reasons, but the reality of the situation is that those who have been there throughout this golden era have been characteristically brilliant as per. Pep Guardiola’s side have settled into a rhythm now and although they are behind Arsenal in the division, those in sky blue will be feeling like another historic season is brewing.
Prior to Liverpool’s stunning midweek victory against Rangers, those of a Manchester City persuasion would’ve been licking blood at the thought of coming up against a depleted Liverpool team. The likes of Brighton, Napoli and Arsenal have shown how vulnerable the reds are at the back, with a real lack of confidence and composure evident to see. Haaland is the one that would benefit most from weaknesses in the back line, but Foden, Bernardo and De Bruyne are all players that will be incredibly difficult for Liverpool to contain. With so much focus on the League’s top scorer, the aforementioned forward players could be left with plenty of space in between the lines to roam and wreak havoc. The role of Liverpool’s number six on Sunday, whether it is Fabinho or Jordan Henderson, is absolutely crucial. Ensuring that De Bruyne doesn’t have time on the ball to pick out Haaland or hit the target himself could be crucial in the overall outcome of the game. Likewise, Foden’s form in recent weeks has been remarkable and despite his tender age, he is now a player with vast experience playing in these high-pressure, high-octane encounters.
One thing that Liverpool may pin their hopes on is the defensive re-shuffle that Pep has been forced into in recent weeks. Although the likes of Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake have performed excellently when called upon, they aren’t players who would be expected to start games of this calibre. Because of the injuries suffered by John Stones and Kyle Walker, the likelihood is that either one or both, of Akanji and Ake, will start on Sunday. Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez will all be in a confident mood after their respective midweek performances and will be hoping that pressure and intensity will force mistakes from those at the back for City.
On the contrary, exactly the same conversations will be held within the Manchester City dressing room too. The likelihood is that Ibramima Konate will be missing for this one through a minor muscular issue, adding to the reds’ defensive worries. The most probable replacement for Konate is Milner, with Gomez switching to centre-half alongside Van Dijk. Irrelevant of who comes in, the disruption in preparations from this is the most obvious concern for Jurgen Klopp, having little time to work on shape with those thrust in the role. It was Milner who played at right-back in this fixture last season, and if Foden is to have anywhere near as much success on the weekend as he did that day, then it could be a long afternoon for the 36-year-old.
Although Liverpool come into this game in 11th place, Guardiola will know that if his side comes away with victory then it will take something special to stop them. Recent form doesn’t change the fact that this is a Liverpool side who are so hard to beat at Anfield, not losing a league game in front of a full crowd for nearly five and a half years. Manchester City’s brilliance as a team cannot be understated, and this is bound to be a fierce battle at Anfield.
Predicted XI: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Ake, Rodri, Bernardo, De Bruyne, Grealish, Foden, Haaland.
