Best odds: 20/23
Bookmaker:
The time has come for the only two teams that have won the Premier League title since 2017/18 to face each other. The time has come for the only team that has so far managed to prevent the other from winning it in that span, and that only once, to host that dominant force in the English game.
On Sunday, Liverpool welcome Manchester City to Anfield, in what will be the 10th round of the season in the English top flight.
Liverpool
After a surprisingly slow start to 2022/23, the mood around the Liverpool campfire has significantly improved since Wednesday, when they returned from Glasgow with a comprehensive victory over Rangers in the Champions League. However, Jurgen Klopp and his men surely won t want to get overconfident in a few days; after all, it s not Rangers whom they ll face on Sunday.
Nonetheless, Klopp will have been thrilled about the explosion that happened when Mohamed Salah came onto the pitch, even though the game was practically won by then. The Egyptian replaced Darwin Nunez in the 68th minute, and just 13 minutes later, he had a hat-trick in his bag. Six minutes 12 seconds passed between his first and third strike, constituting the fastest hat-trick in the history of the Champions League. It will have been a most-welcome boost for a much-criticized Salah ahead of this clash.
Be that as it may, Liverpool still have work to do to get through their Champions League group, but a point in either of the two remaining matches would be enough.
Over in the Premier League, meanwhile, it s much more complicated. Following the defeat to Arsenal last week, which saw them bereft of the services of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip and Luis Diaz for a while, Liverpool are in 10th place with 10 points, below newly promoted teams like Bournemouth and Fulham. It should, on the other hand, be said that they still have a game in hand on most of the league.
The Merseysiders last-six run consists of a 4-1 defeat away to Napoli, a 2-1 win at home over Ajax, a 3-3 draw at home against Brighton and Hove Albion, a 2-0 win at home over Rangers, the 3-2 defeat at the Emirates, and the 1-7 win in Glasgow this week.
Team News
As has been said, there will be no Luis Diaz on the left attacking flank (knee), Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right defensive one (ankle), or Joel Matip in the heart of defence. The trio joins midfielders Naby Keita, Curtis Jones and Arthur Melo, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is back in training. Left-back Andy Robertson has already returned to action, having played the final 25 minutes against Rangers.
With Matip and Alexander-Arnold out, there s very little doubt about Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate starting at the back, and Robertson is likely to join them. Fabinho will surely be in the middle of the park, and it remains to be seen if Klopp sticks to the 4-2-3-1 system he used in the last two matches or reverts to 4-3-3. Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson and Harvey Elliott will all be hoping to play alongside the Brazilian, as will former City man James Milner.
Roberto Firmino should start upfront, being in much better form than most of his teammates, as should Salah.
Manchester City
Despite being second to Arsenal in the Premier League table with a two-point deficit at the moment, it s questionable if there s anyone not tipping City to win another title in the English top flight.
With Erling Haaland as their main attacking threat (15 goals in nine league matches so far), Kevin De Bruyne obviously has the perfect forward ahead to showcase the full extent of his vast playmaking abilities. There are, of course, other top-quality players in Pep Guardiola s team, but stopping this particular partnership seems to be the first step to try and take for anyone aiming not be beaten.
City have secured a place in the first knockout stage of the Champions League already, and all that remains to be resolved from their point of view is whether they ll finish top of the group or second to Haaland s former club Borussia Dortmund. The Norwegian s emotional return to the Signal Iduna Park with City is set to take place on October 25th.
As for their last-six run, City beat Dortmund at the Etihad by 2-1, beat Wolverhampton Wanderers away by 0-3, smashed Manchester United 6-3 in the Derby at home, as well as Copenhagen 5-0 and Southampton 4-0. They played Copenhagen in Denmark earlier this week and that was the only match they failed win, as it ended goalless after Sergio Gomez earned a straight red card half an hour in.
Team News
Gomez will be suspended in the Champions League now, but he will probably start on the left defensive flank against Liverpool. There is no John Stones or Kyle Walker (both injured), which means Ruben Dias will be partnered by either Manuel Akanji or Aymeric Laporte in the heart of defence. He could also pick Nathan Ake, but the Dutchman will probably be on the bench at Anfield.
Kalvin Phillips is also injured so he won t play, but this match has Rodri and Bernardo Silva along with De Bruyne witten all over it, though Ilkay Gundogan isn t without chances either. The options at Guardiola s disposal in the middle of the park are simply incredible.
There can be no question about Haaland starting he was rested against Copenhagen and is surely ready to cause all sorts of problems for the Liverpool defence, and he should be flanked by Phil Foden and Jack Grealish.
Conclusion
City had a few shaky performances early on, which is the exclusive reason why they aren t leading the title race already, but they ve shown consistency of the highest level recently. It s hard to imagine anything but a great game from them.
Therefore, a lot will depend on which Liverpool we see in this contest. If it s the team that put six past Rangers in the second half of their clash this week, then the spectators are likely to be in for a real treat. But if it s the Liverpool that played against Napoli or Brighton, the visitors will have no problems to increase the gap between them.
City don t win very often at Anfield, but this is surely a great opportunity to get a comprehensive one over their fiercest rivals in the last couple of years.
Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 20/23
Bookmaker:
