Nathan Ake is under no illusions about the size of the task when his Manchester City side come to Anfield on Sunday - despite Liverpool's poor start to the season.
The Reds will kick-off the weekend eight places and 13 points behind their visitors after winning just two of their opening eight games. Last weekend's 3-2 defeat to Arsenal handed Jurgen Klopp's side their worst league start in a decade, and injuries to Luis Diaz - who will be sidelined until after the World Cup - Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joel Matip rubbed salt in an already stinging wound.
All of which could make this weekend the best possible time for Pep Guardiola's side to end a four-game winless streak against their main rivals for the past five seasons. The current Premier League champions remain unbeaten this campaign, have a striker in Erling Haaland who has scored 15 goals in nine league games, and are favourites for a fifth title in six years.
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But City defender Ake is far from complacent, admitting that a packed out Anfield is never an easy place to go and the Reds have shown their ability to 'bounce back' from adversity.
"I have always got the feeling that at one point they can just bounce back because they have a quality manager and all the players are quality,” Ake told the Manchester Evening News. “They have shown that over the years.
"I think they can deal with setbacks and I expect them to come back. Every game we want to win and Sunday is no different. Obviously, it will be a tough place to go. It is never easy to go there so we have to make sure we are in a good place.
"I think everyone is looking forward to it. We have a few days to prepare. We can do that on the training pitch and I think it will be a good game."
Ake's Netherlands teammate Virgil van Dijk has been notably out of sorts this season, with the 31-year-old's obvious lack of assurance at the back radiating out to his teammates. But the young City defender remains confident his compatriot can turn his fortunes around and get back to the form that put him up as the best defender in the world.
He added: "[van Dijk] has been so good for so many years. For me he is still one of the best defenders in the world and he keeps showing that.”
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