A blockbuster top of the table clash in the Premier League awaits us on Sunday as leaders Liverpool will welcome reigning champions Manchester City to Anfield, aiming to put a marker down early in the season.
The Reds are in great form and flexed their muscles with a 5-1 thumping of FC Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday. However, they were frustrated by a hugely motivated Brentford side in their most recent Premier League game.
In contrast, Manchester City lost 2-0 away to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday. Despite their Champions League disappointment, Pep Guardiola can certainly take a lot of positives from the game in Paris.
The fact that they passed the Chelsea test at Stamford Bridge last weekend should give his team a lot of confidence ahead of the encounter at Anfield.
Without further ado, let us take a look at the key battles from the Liverpool vs Manchester City game.
Liverpool vs Manchester City – 5 key battles
#1 Mohamed Salah vs Joao Cancelo
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is in red-hot goalscoring form at the moment (eight goals in eight games across all formats) and will enter the clash off the back of a double in his side’s big 5-1 win over FC Porto.
The Egyptian international, one of the best players in the world in recent years, will be Liverpool’s biggest threat against Manchester City. Along with Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota or Roberto Firmino, Salah will look to cause all kinds of problems to Manchester City’s backline.
Joao Cancelo is likely to start at left-back for Manchester City. He is pacey and skilful and always a threat going forward. Not renowned for his defending, though, it remains to be seen how the Portuguese international stops Salah on Sunday.
#2 Diogo Jota vs Ruben Dias
Like Salah, Diogo Jota has already started the new campaign well and will perhaps be preferred ahead of Roberto Firmino in the false 9 position.
The Portuguese international will look to drop deep, link play in the final third and create chances. He is adept at pressing and can also be a potent option during counterattacks against Manchester City.
Ruben Dias is the leader of Manchester City’s defence, playing a key role in making Guardiola’s already near-unbreakable unit in the league this term. Despite City conceding twice against PSG, he will be in a buoyant mood and will have the duty of nullifying the threat of his Portuguese compatriot, Jota.
#3 Fabinho vs Kevin De Bruyne
One of the world’s best players, Kevin De Bruyne is a complete midfielder who can carve open even the most rigid defences with one killer pass.
The Belgian is widely appreciated for his passing skills, vision and goal-scoring ability, and regardless of not enjoying a solid start to the season due to injury problems, he’ll pose City’s biggest threat against Jürgen Klopp’s side.
Liverpool’s defensive midfielder Fabinho could be tasked with the duty of shadowing De Bruyne and not allowing the City star time and space on the ball to create opportunities for his teammates. The Brazilian does his job diligently in the middle of the park and his presence in the Liverpool side will be key on Sunday.
It’ll certainly be an engaging midfield battle between Fabinho and De Bruyne at Anfield.
#4 James Milner vs Jack Grealish
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s unfortunate calf injury has ruled him out against Man City, meaning Klopp will certainly go with the experienced James Milner at right-back on Sunday, as he did against FC Porto.
Milner, 35, one of the most versatile players in the history of English football, will generally not offer what Alexander-Arnold does going forward for Liverpool, but Klopp can fully rely upon him when it comes to defending.
And that’s what the veteran Englishman will have to be at his best at Anfield on Sunday, with Jack Grealish widely expected to start on the left for Manchester City. With his dribbling skills and sudden burst of pace, Grealish will look to presumably take on Milner and rattle the Liverpool backline.
On paper, this shapes up to be such an absorbing battle between two Englishmen at contrasting stages of their careers.
#5 Curtis Jones vs Bernardo Silva
Perhaps Manchester City’s most in-form player at the moment is Bernardo Silva. The twinkle-toed Portuguese midfielder has the dribbling ability, vision and movement to exploit gaps in the Liverpool defence. He possesses the technique to create things out of nothing and Klopp’s men must keep Silva at bay if they are to win the game.
A superb performance tonight, @curtisjr_10 👏
Curtis is your Player of the Match for #PORLIV 👌 pic.twitter.com/CQgPsJLsou
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 28, 2021
Klopp is likely to give the nod to young Curtis Jones, who was fantastic against Brentford and FC Porto, in the Liverpool midfield for this high-intense clash. The England ace was at the heart of nearly every move against Porto, and offers something more to the usually functional Liverpool midfielder.
Jones will have to be both defensively and offensively strong in the upcoming game, which makes his clash against Silva in the middle of the park a fascinating one to watch.