Liverpool host Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday in the biggest game of the Premier League season.
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Jurgen Klopp’s injury-hit side sit atop the table but are just one point ahead of Manchester City heading into this weekend.
Pep Guardiola’s City are surging but there’s an air of destiny about Liverpool in Klopp’s final few months in charge before he steps down.
PREVIEW: LIVERPOOL v MANCHESTER CITY
Klopp and Guardiola have had so many great tactical battles over the years and if this is to be their last, surely they will go all out to find any way they can get an advantage with their lineups.
Below are the Liverpool vs Manchester City predicted lineups in full with analysis on the options both teams have.
Liverpool predicted lineup (4-3-3)
——- Kelleher ——-
—- Bradley —- Konate —- Van Dijk —- Robertson —-
—— Szoboszlai —— Endo —— Mac Allister ——
—— Salah —— Nunez —— Diaz ——
Kelleher remains in goal with Alisson out injured and the Irish goalkeeper has enhanced his reputation massively as the best No. 2 in the Premier League. In defense the back four pretty much picks itself (if Konate is out injured then either Joe Gomez or Jarell Quansah will come in) and it seems like Conor Bradley will be at right back as he’s a better fit for the way Klopp wants his full backs to play when Liverpool have the ball. I’d expected Bradley to start over Gomez but Klopp may go for the extra experience of the latter. In midfield Klopp will have Endo and Szoboszlai fit to start and that is a huge boost to give Liverpool more experience and creativity. Endo has a huge job to do to try and stop De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva controlling the tempo of the game, while it will be Szoboszlai’s job to push on to Rodri and stop him from dictating the tempo from a deeper position. Up top, Salah is back from injury and will start on the right as he aims to torment City once again, while Nunez centrally and Diaz on the left is surely what Klopp will go with from the start. But he knows he has Elliott and Gakpo to bring on if Liverpool need something a bit different in attack.
Manchester City predicted lineup (3-2-4-1)
——- Ederson ——-
—— Walker —— Dias —— Ake ——
—— Stones —— Rodri ——
—- Foden —- Silva —- De Bruyne —- Doku —-
——- Haaland ——-
At this point the City team pretty much picks itself as Jack Grealish is the only player out injured. Ederson starts in goal and Guardiola is likely to stick with his 3-2-4-1 formation which he’s preferred since the middle of last season, but don’t rule out the Spanish coach doing something wild with his lineup because he has previous for doing that in big games over the years. Walker, Dias and Ake should be the back three but the speed of Akanji and Gvardiol may sway Guardiola into starting one, or both, of them in a back four as he has done in other big away games this season. Stones and Rodri are nailed on to be the two holding midfielders as they’re in fine form, while the four ahead of them are also likely to remain unchanged from last weekend. Foden on the right and Silva and De Bruyne flitting around centrally is a given. But it’s on the left wing where Pep has a big dilemma. Doku has started there in recent weeks and he’s done really well and given City something a bit different in their attack. But Julian Alvarez came on and set up Foden’s second goal last weekend and scored in midweek as the Argentine continues to stake his claim for a regular starting spot in that inside left position. Haaland obviously starts up top.
