Premier League fans better be braced for some hostility this weekend. On Sunday, Premier League leaders Manchester City travel to Anfield for their first competitive outing since being found guilty on all charges by the independent commission appointed by the Premier League.
The entire Jurgen Klopp era was defined by the epic battles with Guardiola. And more often than not, the Spaniard would get the better of his German counterpart in the final reckoning. This guilty decision brings all that into disrepute and the Liverpool fans will be desperate to show how they feel about it.
The recent international break has resulted in some injury scares for both clubs. For Liverpool, Cody Gakpo and Alexsandar Isak are going to be touch and go, while Jeremy Jacquet looks like he may be in line to start. The visitors will be hoping that Haaland and Semenyo will be able to recover from their respective knocks. Nico O’Reilly looks doubtful while Foden will be serving the last of his three-match ban for the love-tap he gave Bruno in the Manchester derby. Regardless of who plays on Sunday, this promises to be one of the most combative atmospheres in recent footballing memory. Here are five key observations ahead of this mouthwatering clash.
- Good vs Evil
At the risk of sounding too abstract; this game almost feels like the ultimate battle of good vs evil. Man City are public enemy no.1 right now, the grand deceivers who have cast a shadow over the entire division. Liverpool have always positioned themselves as the de facto good guys, a club built on working class values and romantic idealism. I think that the Liverpool fandom tends to get a bit self-righteous at times, overegging their own perceived victimhood. I can only imagine how that will manifest against the club who have hijacked English football at their expense. The booing will be tinged with a working-class indignation that could get ugly. The Liverpool fans will feel like they are not just representing their city and club on Sunday, but also acting as the mouthpiece for the broader footballing fraternity.
- The Haaland Factor
Erling Haaland has been Liverpool’s nemesis in recent times. In truth, the Striking Viking didn’t prosper in his early meetings with the Scousers, scoring just twice in his first six clashes with the Reds (a criminal conversion rate by Haaland’s standards). But he has evolved over time, netting five times in their last three meetings, including an emphatic hat-trick in April’s 4-0 FA Cup win. The waning dominance of Virgil van Djik and broader general defensive instability has allowed Haaland to grow more confident against the Reds. Jeremy Jacquet looks like he will be ready and it will be fascinating to see how he deals with City’s most obvious threat.
- Liverpool CDM issues
Liverpool’s lack of a combative holding midfielder has been an obvious area of weakness this season. They tend to operate with a double-pivot, with some combo of Szoboszlai, McAllister and Gravenberch ‘protecting’ their defensive line. All three of those guys like to take offensive gambles and maraud forward at any given opportunity. This often leaves the Reds exposed when they lose possession. A City side featuring the likes of Cherki, Doku and Semenyo could wreak havoc on the Reds if they don’t have enough tactical discipline.
- Liverpool can prosper down that right-hand side
The likes of Bradley Barcola and Victor Munoz could have a field day down that right-hand side. City showed their defensive frailties during that insane end-to-end 5-3 victory over Sunderland. Nico O-Reily has endured a poor start to the season and may not be available on Sunday through injury. That would mean Gvardiol would probably slot into the left-back role. The Croat has looked excellent in the Prem but was ruthlessly exposed in the Nations League, caught out time and time again in Croatia’s humbling 7-0 home defeat to England. Liverpool could really expose his fragile confidence.
- Anfield is still Anfield
City have had the better of the clubs’ recent exchanges, winning the last three matches by a head-to-head aggregate of 9-1. That included City’s dramatic late comeback win at Anfield last season. But more broadly speaking, Anfield has not been a happy hunting ground for City (even in the Guardiola era). City have won just twice in their last 16 visits (which is quite poor when you consider their dominance during the era). That mythic Anfield aura will only be amplified by City’s ongoing existential crisis. Can City conjure a backs-against-the-wall response in that cauldron-like atmosphere?
