Liverpool's difficult start to the season will only get tougher when Manchester City visit Anfield on Sunday, not that Pep Guardiola is getting carried away.
The Reds have won only two of their first 10 Premier League matches this campaign and after going down 3-2 at Arsenal yesterday, find themselves 10th in the table, 14 points off the top. In stark contrast, free-scoring City are two points off the summit and have goal machine Erling Haaland firing on all cylinders.
Despite the clear chasm in fortunes, Sky Blues boss Guardiola insists that his side's trip to Anfield will be their toughest test yet. Before the two sides meet, City must travel to Copenhagen for a Champions League group stage match. Only then can the Premier League champions prepare to face Jurgen Klopp's side. They will then be afforded six days before taking on Brighton.
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Guardiola said: “Always after games I’m really tired. I want to rest with the family after these three games. I think about Copenhagen, as I want to finish first in the group, and we have to win there. We have to finish qualification and meet the first target of this part of the season - we want to be there in the last 16.
“After that, we have four days to prepare for Anfield, and it won’t be any surprise to tell you how fascinating, difficult and competitive that will be. The biggest test, I would say, we can face in England is going to happen next Sunday.”
Liverpool are in urgent need of an upturn in fortunes as Jurgen Klopp tries to get the club's league form back on track. The Reds are now without a win in three matches and have gone behind 10 times in their last 12 Premier League outings.
Before the City match, attention turns back to the Champions League with a trip to Glasgow on Wednesday evening to face Rangers in what promises to be a white hot atmosphere at Ibrox.
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