Liverpool v Manchester City Preview

The cream of the Premier League prepare to go at each other in what is undoubtedly the stand out game of the weekend and may well be the game of the season on Sunday at Anfield. Anfield has been a bad hunting ground for master tactician Pep Guardiola who has played three and lost three at the famous ground.

Since the purchase of ex-Southampton caption Virgil Van Dijk to plug what obviously felt like the one major flaw in Jurgen Klopp’s side, the rest of the Premier League have felt the full force of Klopp’s ‘heavy metal’ football. The once torrid defence has become largely solid and provided the platform for their dynamic forwards to do their thing. Roared on by their ever vocal and vociferous atmosphere at Anfield – arguably one of the best grounds in Europe, Liverpool have gone 24 home games unbeaten, a record that will not be lost on Pep and his team. Liverpool also dumped City of the Champions League last season and Klopp’s teams have constantly been a thorn in Pep’s side.

Despite the euphoria around Liverpool, a closer look at their recent form indicates that a chink may be developing in their armour. The Reds have failed to win any of the last three games. They faced Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea twice in the space of four days and were dumped out of the third round of the Carabao Cup in the first game, and drew 1-1 after. They travelled to Naples on Tuesday and lost 1-0 to Napoli, failing to register a single shot on target in the process.

City currently lead Liverpool in the table by goal difference – both teams locked on 19 points, having won six games and drawn one. Pep would feel that his players are better than last season and are well placed to put the Anfield curse to rest this weekend. De bruyne returned to training this week but this fixture most likely comes too early for him to make his return from the lateral ligament injury he suffered in August. Mendy has missed recent games from a mixture of foot injury and flouting club rules while Ilkay Gundogan went off injured due to a leg problem during the Champions League win over Hoffenheim on Tuesday. Claudio Bravo remains unavailable owing to a rupture in the tendon of his left foot.

Naby Keita suffered a heart scare and had to be taken to the hospital in the midweek game, so he is unlikely to be available for this game. Oxlade-Chamberlain and Adam Lallana are long-term absentees

Mo Salah is yet to hit the heights of last season but still offers a lot to Liverpool’s all-round play. City’s all time goal scorer, Sergio Aguero remains goalless at Anfield in 11 games and they have yet to beat Liverpool at Anfield since 2003. The entire City team will have to surmount a psychological barrier if they are to beat Klopp’s Liverpool. Pep’s men have lost three of the last four matches against Liverpool and he knows another win for Klopp’s men will inflate an already burgeoning confidence that Liverpool are the only team in the land with the squad and belief to nip City’s claim to English dominance in the bud. He has to find an answer to Liverpool’s scary front three and fast.

Martin Atkinson will be the man in the middle for this fixture.

Probable Line Ups

Liverpool team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Gomez, Van Dijk; Wijnaldum, Milner, Henderson; Salah, Firmino, Mane.

Manchester City team: Ederson; Walker, Delph, Otamendi, Laporte; Fernandinho, B. Silva, D. Silva, Sterling, Aguero, Sane.

Verdict

Wow how to predict this, a real top of the table crunch game if ever there was. I am going to go with a 1-1 draw which I think both teams would probably settle for, more so City obviously but if Liverpool come out of this game without a loss there isn't too much damage done. I expect Liverpool to press for the win though and it will be a tough game.