Liverpool Vs Manchester City Battle of the Titans
Liverpool Vs Manchester City is one of the most important Premier League matches this season on forthcoming Sunday at Anfield. The Reds’ home will witness the two English giants fight for the top spot in the league standings. Liverpool currently are the table toppers with 63 points, while the Cityzens are only one point behind with 11 matches to go.
A win tomorrow can help any of these two teams shape their future in the Premier League this season. In recent times, the den of the Reds has not disappointed its team much against Pep Guardiola’s men. The last meeting of the two heavyweights saw a 1-1 draw at Etihad where Erling Haaland broke the deadlock in the first half, followed by a second-half equalizer from Trent Alexander-Arnold. With this match being regarded as the potential title decider by many, we bring you the ten most important facts about this mouth-watering football clash in the Premier League.
10 Key Points About Liverpool Vs Manchester City Game:
- Season-defining Game: There’s a saying in football: every match is important. But, some games are bigger than the rest of the fixtures. The encounter between Liverpool and Manchester City is like that important game that can shape the teams’ future in just 90 minutes. It’s fair to say that the outcome at Anfield will eventually have a major say in deciding who will lift the Premier League crown at the end of the season. The top three of the league standings are – Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal, and, notably, all three teams are either one point ahead or behind in the list.
- Jurgen Klopp vs Pep Guardiola in Premier League: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp already announced he will leave the club at the end of the ongoing season. This means Klopp, as the coach of the Reds, will go against Guardiola for the last time in the Premier League. As it’s seemingly the most important game at Anfield, Klopp is expected to play all his cards in this game. If he secures a victory here against City, the demand for “a statue of Klopp” in front of Anfield might be considered by the Liverpool management. This game is set to be a perfect managerial battle between the two think tanks of modern football.
- Injury Crisis at Liverpool: When the Reds clinched a win out of nowhere against Manchester United a few weeks ago, everyone including football pundits praised the tactics of Klopp who fielded an almost inexperienced squad in the game. Despite the return of Darwin Nunez, Liverpool will miss players such as Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, and Diogo Jota against City. In addition to this worrying list for Klopp, Ibrahima Konate is doubtful to feature on Sunday as the player made his way out of the field due to an injury during the Sparta Prague match. With Mohamed Salah and Nunez fit, the attacking front is good to go against the mighty City.
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- Manchester City’s Squad Strength: Pep Guardiola boasts a formidable squad, thanks to fewer injuries in his camp this season. Manchester City possesses the best-performing midfield in the Premier League with Kevin De Bruyne at the helm and Rodri taking care of the defensive duties in the middle of the park. The likes of Bernardo Silva, Jeremy Doku, and Mateo Kovacic don’t shy away from playing as both Central and attacking midfielders. The top scorer in the league Erling Haaland has been the main man for Guardiola like last season, consistently receiving the forward passes orchestrated by the midfielders and wingers. It would be unfair not to mention the name of Phil Foden here. The player has been the biggest revelation for City. His performance against United last week will surely boost his growing morale.
- City’s Impressive Form: The Citizens were the treble winners last year. In a bid to repeat that feat, they have once again found their groove as they always do at the business end of the season. Since their narrow defeat at the hands of Aston Villa, Guardiola and Co have not lost a single match across all competitions. In March alone, they have scored 6 goals, conceding only 2 goals in the process. With 11 more games to go in the league, it should be rare to see City slipping up in important fixtures. The current Premier League champions will head into this game as favorites.
- Battle for Golden Boot: With the league title on the line, it’s pretty clear that both teams will hunt for goals throughout the game on an aggressive note. And when it comes to scoring goals, who could do that job better than Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah in this contest? Haaland currently leads the list of Premier League top scorers with 18 goals, while Salah is just 3 goals behind. A hat-trick at Anfield can be a perfect gift Salah can give to himself and the home crowd. On the other hand, the City forward would try to move out of the sight of his competitors with a couple of goals. Anfield is definitely up for an epic battle of the scorers. The winner of this battle can seal the game for his side.
- City’s Anfield Woes: Liverpool Vs Manchester City might be the most successful team in the Premier League in recent times, but their Anfield trip has never been an easy one. The home stadium of Liverpool has always provided tough evenings and nights for Guardiola and his team. Since 2003, the Citizens have only clinched one victory in this stadium, and that was an indoor encounter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. City’s last visit saw the Red Devils clinch a 1-0 win. From Liverpool’s point of view, they have a great chance to snatch a win over the visitors, given their worrying stats at Anfield.
- Advantage Arsenal: Before Liverpool take on Man City on Sunday, Arsenal are set to have a face-off against Brentford at home. If the Gunners clinch a win here, they would go ahead of both Liverpool and City before the latter’s take to the field. An Arsenal victory would put pressure on both the teams at Anfield. If the result of the Liverpool vs Man City clash offers a winner then it will be a great shot in the arm for any of the teams, but a draw would nicely play into the hands of the Gunners. It’s pretty clear to say that it’s advantageous for Arsenal in the Premier League title race ahead of the Sunday blockbuster fixture.
- Key Players: Despite the likes of Mohamed Salah, Kevin de Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Darwin Nunez, or Virgil Van Dijk featuring in the squads of both teams, the two key players from both camps are going to be Rodri and Caoimhin Kelleher. The City midfielder has been on song throughout the season so far and is expected to showcase his elite skills in running the midfield against Liverpool. The Spaniard is unbeaten for the last 60 games across all competitions, setting a record in the Premier League. For the hosts, much will depend on the form of Kelleher. In the absence of Alisson, he has produced some stellar performances to bail his team out in difficult situations. All eyes would be on him in this fixture as a formidable attacking set-up of City is expected to go all guns blazing against him.
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- Michael Oliver in Limelight: Michael Oliver will officiate the Liverpool vs City match at Anfield. With the game under the spotlight, the referee has also attracted a lot of attention in the last couple of days. Oliver is expected to be under a lot of pressure during the match as his every decision will be scrutinized by both camps. The 39-year-old has already been at the center of controversy due to some of his calls in the Premier League. Officiating a match on Sunday referee is always a tough job, and Oliver would definitely face the pressure at Anfield in this season-defining fixture.