Manchester City v Liverpool – Match Preview

The international break is finally over! The proper football is back. Liverpool have a mountain to climb in their next three fixtures – trips to Manchester City and Chelsea, and a home encounter with an in-form Arsenal. Jürgen Klopp has already referred to that run of games as a “defining week”.

The scale of these clashes is colossal as its positive or negative outcome will probably define the whole season and give us the answer whether Liverpool have any chance of playing in the Champions League next season. Missing out on the world’s best club competition could bring dire consequences. Manchester City are first on the horizon. The Reds hit the road to Etihad Stadium to take on Pep Guardiola’s outfit in a blockbuster Premier League clash on Saturday lunchtime.

Overview

Liverpool are still a shadow of their former selves. The players are still suffering from last season’s monstrous burden and what I believe to be mental fatigue. The international break presented some players with the opportunity to rest and unwind, while others had to fulfill the duties with their respective national teams. Twelve of Liverpool’s players were called up to play for their countries’ senior squads, while 17 were not involved.

Liverpool sit sixth in the league’s table with seven points off the fourth-placed Tottenham, but have two games in hand over their London’s rivals. The Reds have lately suffered two disappointing defeats that ended their three-game unbeaten run before entering the international break. Despite the poor form and the underperformance, Pep Guardiola must be wary of Liverpool’s ability to show up in massive games. Remember that 7-0 humiliation of Manchester United? It wasn’t that long ago… It was in early March when the Reds stepped up and showed them the way to go home… as supporters would say.

Manchester City, on the other hand, head into the game as favourites, hoping to avoid Liverpool’s completion of a double over them. Pep Guardiola’s side find themselves eight points behind league leaders Arsenal but have one game in hand. City are on a 10-game unbeaten run in all competitions. They entered the international break on the back of an impressive 6-0 triumph against Championship leaders Burnley. Highlight of the game? Haaland’s hat-trick and reunion with Vincent Kompany.

Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United.

What a game. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/HzH1gYAZjG

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) March 5, 2023

Head to head

The last five games between these two teams at Etihad Stadium ended in three wins and two draws in all competitions.

The very last meeting came in December last year. It was Manchester City, who ended Liverpool’s hopes of defending the EFL Cup three days before Christmas.

The Reds found themselves on the winning end at Etihad Stadium five years ago for the last time. That night, the stadium was fully-packed with supporters. The atmosphere of the second leg in the UEFA Champions League’s quarter-final was felt. Liverpool came to the blue side of Manchester to stick to the course that had begun in the first leg.

Team news

Premier League top scorer Haaland is “touch and go” according to the player’s father. The prolific striker left Norway’s training camp in Marbella, Spain, to see a doctor in Barcelona. He’s reportedly picked up a groin injury. His potential unavailability would be welcome for the visiting supporters. If he’s deemed not ready to face Liverpool, Julian Alvarez should deputise for him in the starting eleven.

Phil Foden will spend some time on the sidelines after undergoing appendix surgery last week. His recovery is expected to take at least four weeks. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola is set to make some changes to his starting lineup compared to the last game, with Ederson, Ake and Stones expected to get the nod.

Meanwhile, Liverpool will miss Thiago Alcantara (hip flexor), Stefan Bajcetic (thigh) and Calvin Ramsay (knee). Elsewhere, Klopp is yet to confirm the severity of Kostas Tsimikas’s issue. The Greece international sustained a rib injury in his country’s goalless draw with Lithuania and is a doubt for the trip to the Etihad.

Having spent five months on the sidelines, Luis Diaz returned to first-team training on Tuesday. Liverpool supporters were waiting for such a positive update ever since. He could be included in the matchday squad if all is okay. The same applies to Darwin Nunez, who should recover in time after receiving treatment for a cut to his knee.

LUIS DIAZ IS BACK! 🇨🇴 pic.twitter.com/TYHayGeOPi

— The Anfield Talk (@TheAnfieldTalk) March 30, 2023

Summary

Liverpool’s form away from home has been a topic for a debate of late just like the midfield. According to “FlashScore”, Liverpool would be third in the Premier League’s table, just behind Arsenal and Manchester City if we take only home games into consideration. However, life is not that beautiful. And if you look at the Premier League’s table away from home, the Reds are far away – on the 13th spot.

Even if Haaland wasn’t deem fit enough to play against Liverpool, City  shouldn’t worry about it as they have a lot of quality within their ranks to replace him. I think their superior midfield can prove the difference. Stefan Bajcetic’s absence until the end of the season doesn’t help Liverpool. The blue side has been on an all-time scoring high and I think they will return home with all three points from Anfield.

Follow Karolina on Instagram: @96karolinakurek