Report, reaction and analysis
That makes it 18 wins from 20 for Liverpool, a famous win, though one that was predictable. Manchester City’s slide continues to amaze, though perhaps Liverpool’s rise may one day supplant that. Thanks for reading today.
Arne Slot spoke to Sky, too.
”If you look at work-rate I think it was perfect. The amount of chances we miss made it tight at the end. But maybe that’s nice for matches like this. It should be like this. But it would have been nicer to score the second goal earlier.
“We always press high but they’re so good at build-up. So you have to work very hard. Our players had energy. Apart from our players, the crowd was fantastic today as well.
“We’re a compatible team and it’s difficult to beat us. But also we have to put the effort in. But we have injuries. We had to take Trent off. It would have been a risk. These are the challenges we face at the moment but every team has to face these challenges over a season.
“Ideally I would have loved to have seen the second half being the same as the first half. But the quality of the other team...
“If you want to win against City you have to be perfect in every part of the game. High press, low press, build-up. They bring so many problems to you. We came close to perfection, we weren’t perfect but we came close to perfection. That’s the only way to beat a quality team like City.
“I don’t think anyone, including me, would have predicted this [start]. I knew Jurgen [Klopp] left the team in a very good place. But still, to win so much with all the difficult teams we have played already is not something you could predict at the start of the season.
“But, like I say, I saw Arsenal yesterday and Chelsea today and I saw City, they will come back because these teams have so much quality. They could go on the same run as us. So we have to stay sharp and focused.”
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Pep on those “sacked in the morning’ chants, per Sky.
“I am here sitting as a manager and defending what we have done in the past thanks to them and more than ever I want to be with them and hug them. We have to change results and in the right time we will take the decision.
“All the stadiums want to sack me, it started at Brighton! Maybe they are right with the results we’ve been having. I didn’t expect that at Anfield. They didn’t do it at 1-0, but at 2-0.
“Maybe they should have sung it in the past. I didn’t expect it from the people from Liverpool but it’s fine, it’s part of the game, and I understand completely. We’ve had incredible battles together. I have a respect for them.”
Pep Guardiola has spoken to Sky:
“The first 15-20 minutes they were unstoppable, they started so strong, we tried to play with a lot of control and passes, but it was difficult to take it. They deserved the first goal, but we started the first half so well and played well in the second half without too much threat. I know how strong Liverpool are in both boxes.
“I congratulate them and we’ll reset and start from zero and it is difficult to believe it. I rely a lot on these players, I know they are doing in this position. We’ll see what happens by the end of the season.
“We can always do the short passes, and we can do it, but we don’t have many alternatives. All I can say is thank you to them because I know the commitment that they showed with and without the ball. Maybe I had a feeling inside me that we will build from them. We will restart and try and make a good run.”
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Here’s David Hytner’s report from Anfield.
The City machine looks broken, the certainties that have driven them for so long absent, the control gone. They got exactly what they deserved here – another defeat, a sixth in seven matches in all competitions, and it is very difficult to see them defending their Premier League title.
The delirious Liverpool crowd informed Guardiola that he would be sacked in the morning, which prompted him to raise six digits in their direction, one for each of his league titles in England. It was an isolated act of defiance from someone with the club’s crest on their chest.
The top of the table, with Manchester City in danger of dropping away.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 13 | 18 | 34 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 13 | 12 | 25 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 13 | 12 | 25 |
| 4 | Brighton | 13 | 5 | 23 |
| 5 | Man City | 13 | 3 | 23 |
Philip in Anfield gets in touch, in response to AA BB: “Interested to see that City’s titles have Asterixes against them. Some think they should have hired Getafix as the lawyer, and others that O’Veroptimistix is among those salivating over the charges. Pretty sure Cacofonix was sitting near me at the end.”
Enjoy the evening, Philip.
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Virgil van Dijk also spoke to Sky:
“I think City is a fantastic team. Four-time champions in a row. They have the quality to punish any team. But I think we were solid defensively and had great chances. We could have scored more. Good game. We won. And we move on.
“We focus on the next game. That’s the only thing we can do. There’s no point at this stage of the season to get ahead of ourselves. Of course everybody wants to be in a position where they are 11 points ahead of their opponents. But there’s so many twists and turns. We have injuries to our team unfortunately and we have to deal with that.”
Couple of stats from Opta:
Manchester City have lost four consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since August 2008. Meanwhile, this is the first time in Pep Guardiola’s managerial career that he has lost four consecutive league matches.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has won just six of his 23 games against Liverpool across all competitions (D8 L9). Of opponents he’s faced more than five times in his managerial career, the Reds are the side he’s won the lowest percentage of his games against (26%).
Mohamed Salah just spoke to Sky, and there was mention of his contract. Could this be the last time against City?
“It’s very special. I don’t take it for granted. I’m enjoying every minute here. It feels like home. It’s always special feeling always scoring at Anfield and winning games.”
“Honestly it’s in my head. Until now this is the last City game I will play for Liverpool so I was just going to enjoy it. The atmosphere was incredible so I will enjoy every second here. Hopefully we just win the league and will see what will happen.”
Gillian Kirby: “If Pep IS off, who are they replacing him with, though? Steve Cooper? Big Sam? A ghost?”
Niall Mullen (and many others): “Classy from Pep to acknowledge Liverpool’s six European Cups”
Today’s other matches:
Andy Flintoff gets in touch: “It is precisely that he has won so many titles (pending lawyerball) that means he is currently insulated from the sack. After a run of results like the one City is currently on, would any other top (or top-adjacent) team keep the manager?”
AA BB is back: “I think it’s age plus lawyerball. They can see they’re going to have asterixes above a lot of the successes and it’s draining. Pep dropping ederson is a bad management imo. “
Colum gets in touch: “Kelleher has had such an impact on Liverpool’s series of wins on all fronts. Uneasy about the signing of Jaros as third keeper, the Irishman can contend for the spot of first choice goalie with Allison when the latter returns from injury with head held high. Saves fron the likes of Mbappè and De Bruyne. Doesn’t get much better. What a statement from Liverpool!”
Liam McMahon: “You sure the Guardiola six gesture wasn’t to indicate he’s lost just about six games in a row? “
Behind their hands, Haaland and Van Dijk have quite the conversation. Amicable, it should be said. City’s players go to the away fans – and are applauded. Pep does the six finger gesture to the away fans, too. He’s the last to leave the field. This feels symbolic of something. He’s clapping all ends of the stadium and smiling….he’s not off, is he? You heard it here first.
Full-time: Liverpool 2-0 Manchester City
It could and should have been more. Liverpool peppered City in the first half, and Cody Gakpo’s goal was meagre reward. If City improved in the second half, their ability to self-destruct continued, and so Mohamed Salah was able to slot the deciding penalty. That did for City, who look done. An 11-point gap. Arne Slot and Guardiola embrace – coolly. Pep leaves the field deep in thought but does offer congratulations.
90+2 min: Pep is rubbing his chin now – at least he isn’t picking at his face – but he cuts a beaten, bemused figure. Just what is happening?
90+1 min: Luis Diaz departs, and on comes Harvey Elliott, and four minutes are added on.
90 minute: City have offered nothing beyond that Van Dijk slip. The olés ring out as Liverpool pass the ball around at will. It’s almost cruel.
89 min: Pep was taking that six gesture out of the Mourinho playbook.
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88 min: Pep is laughing, and smirking and then does a gesture to show he’s won six titles. The seventh is surely beyond his team this season.
86 min: Anfield is full of song now. The job is almost done. And here comes the “sacked in the morning” chants. That arl Scouse wit…
84 min: Salah, the match-winner, departs the scene. Curtis Jones comes on as a closer.
De Bruyne misses a sitter/Kelleher saves!
83 min: Van Dijk, imperious all game, suddenly slips up, and De Bruyne has a chance to score. Kelleher makes a fine save and receives a vote of thanks from Van Dijk.
81 min: How did City become so vulnerable? It’s an amazing – and welcome for many – development. This season was supposed to be about lawyerball not actual football.
80 min: City subs: Foden and Lewis off, De Bruyne and Grealish on. They will have to perform a miracle. Meanwhile, Salah and Silva tangle. Silva kicked Salah’s hand. Petulance, yeah, that’ll help.
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79 min: Pep shakes his head. His team have played well in the second half. Nowhere near their best but something like their old selves. The defending, the composure for that penalty, was unacceptable at any level.
Goal! Liverpool 2-0 Manchester City (Salah, pen, 78)
Deep breath, and then slot to the bottom right. A fine penalty.
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Penalty to Liverpool
City do it to themselves again. A total tangle, and Luis Diaz escapes after Nunez robs Walker. Ortega charges out and clatters the Colombian. Shades of Feyenoord in midweek.
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74 min: Van Dijk wants this finished. He surges forward like Alan Hansen and sets up Nunez, who checks back and City clear. Quansah – in fact – is playing right-back.
72 min: Two Liverpool changes: Gakpo and Trent off, Quansah and Nunez on. Gomez will look after Doku. Quansah hasn’t been seen since Portman Road when he got repeatedly rolled by Liam Delap.
70 min: Trent, this time, stops Doku, who is causing real problems. On the other flank, Savinho is doing similar, and as he checks and chips, Gomez clears.
68 min: Darwin Nunez is imminent. Meanwhile Doku spins and skins Trent, and it takes Van Dijk to stop it reaching Haaland. Within seconds Gakpo is going close at the other end. Liverpool retain their speed on the break. But have they lost their touch in front of goal?
67 min: Peter Oh gets in touch: “Re: Pep’s coin-toss mind games. City can run from the Kop, they can hide from the Kop, but eventually the Kop will get them.”
I have a feeling that was Kyle Walker’s plan.
66 min: A rash of Liverpool attacks. Gakpo gets away, Salah veers offside, and Trent’s shot, saved by Ortega, becomes moot.
64 min: Another centre-back – Ake – smashes it long for Haaland. Pep really is going old school. Brings a tear to the eye for the likes of Bassett, Kinnear, Beck, Taylor, Pulis, Warnock and Allardyce. They always knew. And now so does Pep. Haaland doesn’t look like he fancies being the new Wayne Allison, mind.
63 min: Salah scoops one wide, having barrelled through. One thing about him: he’s not afraid to miss.
62 min: Van Dijk reads an Akanji ball arrowing for Haaland. Great play from the Dutchman.
61 min: Liverpool attempt to pass it around, and advance forward. Szoboszlai has a shot blocked after Mac Allister’s elegant turn and gallop.
59 min: Doku and Savinho – two wingers – Pep is going old-school. Rico Lewis appears to be pushed forward, too, released from what is now a back three. It may take a while to work out a revised formation. It’s all City, Liverpool looking to the counter.
57 min: City subs; Savinho and Doku on, Gundogan and Nunes go off. Nunes was on a booking.
Salah misses a sitter...
56 min: Akanji and Ake get in a tangle and Salah is through. He has company to pass to, too, and yet he shoots miles wide. He can’t believe it, rubs his new hair in confusion….what a moment.
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55 min: Walker and Silva almost combine to get away. Anfield now rings out…their fans are encouraging the team on…
53 min: On the sidelines, Pep and Juanma are back on speaking terms. And Nunes’ high press almost robs an idling Gomez. City want – and deserve – a corner.
52 min: City look…better. Nunes forces a corner. Their fans can be heard, too. Szoboszlai on Haaland is an odd pairing at corners but the danger is cleared.
51 min: Trent to take, Virgil van Dijk gets to it, escaping everyone, Gabriel-style. But the ball lands on the roof of the net.
50 min: Foden forces a corner, running down the channels. Is Pep going old school here? The big man to aim for is Haaland but Akanji heads over…Liverpool spring forward, Robertson zings it to Gakpo, and Nunes makes a fine tackle. We’re back on!
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48 min: De Bruyne is now warming up. Maybe it ain’t over till it’s over. Still all City but very much sterile possession.
47 min: Rupak chips in: “No one can deny the role Klopp played in revamping this Liverpool squad. But my goodness, the clarity in decision making these players are showing, most of whom have arrived only last season, indicates how good Arne has slotted in.”
City are playing keep-ball. This is where Liverpool may have to suffer.
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Back underway at Anfield
46 min: Now City attack the Kop. And there are boos as they maintain possession.
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In the UK, Sky keep showing clips of Pep’s half-time team talks from last season. He talks so quickly, I’d struggle, to be quite honest.
Doku, Grealish, Savinho all warming up: no De Bruyne. Is it over for him at City?
Will Liverpool rue not blowing City away? We’re about to find out.
Kari Tulinius gets in touch, too: “Alexander-Arnold is an amazing player. His passes from deep land so smoothly, like he was chipping them from ten yards away. There’s no player like him in the game today, it sounds ludicrous that it’s really an open question whether he’ll stay at Liverpool after this season. Though the idea of him passing to Mbappé and Vinicius has aesthetic appeal.”
You tease….
Tim Pearson does, too: “City have the look of an aging heavyweight, returned for one too many paydays, hand speed gone, legs heavy and slow, granite jaw suddenly turned to glass. And that dazed, perplexed look as the young challenger’s blows overwhelm what little wit and instinct he has left.”
Drew gets in touch: “Almost impossible to pick fault with Slot’s Liverpool but they’ve done a great job of quieting the crowd since that frenetic start. Surely a Klopp Liverpool would be 4-0 up by now… “
Half-time: Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
City will be glad that’s over. Liverpool wanted more, much more. And remain capable of doing so. Liverpool did ebb as time has gone on. What can Pep conjure? This will have to be the team talk of a lifetime.
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45_+1 min: Three minutes added on. Pep and Juanma are deep in discussion.
44 min: Salah hurt? Looks like he was stood on. The referee take no notice.Salahj gets up and is the target of a pass out to the wing.
43 min: City doing their best to calm the storm. Much more patient, better shape, Ortega ends up playing a pass to nobody. Liverpool can resume.
41 min: Applause as Liverpool play some Slot-ball. They only just fail to play in Diaz.
39 min: City’s first shot? Robertson lets in Lewis and the ball is jabbed wide. Still. City are better at the moment. Much betterl.
38 min: A penalty claim? Nope. Diaz had fallen to the surface rather too easily.
37 min: Pep is pacing. His team attempt to work a set piece and Bernardo Silva can only lump the ball at Kelleher…that’s poor.
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35 min: Gakpo barrels to the byline, but cannot find a teammate. City clear, and Gravenberch is booked for legging up Gundogan. Haaland was the next and willing recipient.
34 min: Close again! Mac Allister’s corner is headed out, and Trent has yet another dig. It’s something of a scuff but comes off the bottom of the post.
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32 min: After the heavy metal thunder, back to the jazz rock. Though Foden shows punkish energy in pulling back Gravenberch. He’s booked for a shirt pull.
31 min: Szoboszlai plays in Trent, whose wallop at goal hits the first man.
30 min: City finding the angles and seeing the pictures at last. Liverpool having to chase. Like old times? That City defence still looks wobbly.
28 min: Haaland is ordering his teammates to get in shape as Liverpool get the ball. A new leader emerging?
26 min: Gravenberch fouls Foden when Nunes was expectant. No yellow, when it might have been. City have a head of steam up, and are in possession, suddenly looking more comfortable.
25 min: Are City finding their feet?…Anfield sounds anxious.
24 min: Lewis and Walker get in a terrible tangle. City clear and Nunes gets the sixth touch in the Liverpool final third. He then loses the ball and concedes a foul and a yellow. That too was sloppy.
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23 min: Touches in final third 45-5. Can anyone remember the five from City?
22 min: Another corner. Alexander-Arnold takes from the left. More chaos, as cleared by Haaland in the end.
19 min: Close! Again! Trent on a weaving run leaves the ball to Gakpo and he smashes over. Arne Slot agonises.
18 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold lasers in a ball for Salah to chase and a corner is conceded. From that, Mac Allister takes and Van Dijk heads down and just wide.
So that’s Salah and Van Dijk at corners they are not marking?
17 min: AA BB gets in touch: “Interesting that after winning the toss, pep chooses to switch sides from the traditional. I’ve seen that a handful of times at anfield in massive games, Jose did it in that monumental 2005 CL tie. They want to get the kop out of the way asap.”
City did it in the 2013-14 game, as won by Coutinho (!?). The famous ”this does not slip” game. David Silva attacking the Kop was just amazing.
15 min: That was just brilliant from Salah, to open the floodgates. Foden will be OK to continue. But will his teammates?
14 min: City look beaten already. And worse, Phil Foden takes a knock after Gravenberch runs into the back of him. He looks in pain. There’s discussions in the City team. Guardiola, well, all he can do is clap.
Goal! Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City (Gakpo, 12)
Too easy, out to Salah, and his ball is a beauty, bisecting defenders and Ortega. Gakpo, at the back post, scores.
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11 min: Liverpool go close twice! Szoboszlai forces a save from Ortega, and Van Dijk hits the crossbar. City can’t sustain this for much longer.
10 min: Rick Harris gets in touch: “Looking at the City team I have the overwhelming feeling that Pep will park the bus and hope that they can nick a goal on the break. Haven’t seen the betting odds but I’m guessing 0-0 must be heavily backed. These games are usually hyped to the rafters but rarely deliver. Let’s hope I am wrong.”
Sitting back with this defence, is parking the Arkansas Chug-a-Bug, a cartoon car.
8 min: Gravenberch attempts to wiggle through. Then Robertson gallops on and his pass to the centre finds plenty of takers, too many, perhaps. City clear hurriedly. Ake slows play down by claiming a hand injury.
6 min: All Liverpool? Yes, so far. And nothing like the patient build-up under Slot. We are back and rocking in true heavy metal style.
5 min: City torn asunder, Gundogan loses it, ball out to Gakpo. He cuts in, and Ortega makes a save. There’s an offside but City looked weak again.
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4 min: Ake raps into Salah. Kelleher had given the ball directly to Salah.
2 min: A Liverpool attack of promise. Salah wafts the ball across goal but no takers. He and Trent Alexander-Arnold had made space rather easily.
Away we go at Anfield
1 min: Rico Lewis is on the right, doubling up ahead of Kyle Walker. Foden has an early skate through some red shirts but the ball goes back to Kelleher.
Big, manly, if distant embrace between Arne and Pep. Arne had the bigger smile. The toss has meant that Liverpool will attack the Kop in the first half. Old-school stuff.
OK, the teams are lined up, and Anfield rings out with songs. The City fans boo You’ll Never Walk Alone. Sounds a heady mix of an atmosphere.
Guardiola on the dropping of Ederson for Ortega.
“No. We just wanted to change something. Eddy [Ederson] has saved a lot of goals for us. He’s saved one-against-ones many, many times, but I decided to pick Stefan [Ortega] today. Both are incredibly top goalkeepers, they’re both incredible with their feet and in one-v-ones. Since he arrived, we’ve had incredible two goalkeepers.”
“Basically, the players [who start] are more fit. That is the reason why. In the starting eleven, I could have changed a few other players. I know what Ruben [Dias] can give us in terms of leadership, but the other selections are about having more rhythm and more in the legs.”
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Max Sanderson gets in touch: “I have to say all this talk of Pep’s impending day of reckoning hasn’t sat quite right with me. One factor that has been overlooked is Phil Foden, who’s obviously had a quiet year so far, but if he can find the pockets today, it could the impetus for City to turn their season around.”
Some highlights of that remarkable Sky interview with Guardiola:
“You cannot imagine how much I get paid! It comes with my salary. If I don’t want that pressure, I resign, go home and I don’t have this weight on my shoulders. All the managers have that.”
“How you are in your thoughts when the opponent punches you in the face. That’s being stable.”
“I always use this as an example: Romelu Lukaku, two minutes to go in the final of the Champions League. In the six-yard box in the middle with a header. He shoots into the knee of Ederson. And we won the Champions League. What a legend Pep is! What a team, personality, character!”
I want to be honest: the club needs this period. To realise what we have done and build for the future. It’s so important. You have to lose sometimes. I don’t like it. But it will be good for the club.”
“But knowing the reality and the team, we cannot make targets to win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cups. It’s unnecessary when in the last six games we have not been able to win one.”
“If Liverpool win, I would shake their hands. If Arsenal win with Mikel Arteta, I would be so happy for him. Believe me, truly, honestly. But I don’t like not competing because the players I have are injured. But it is what it is. It’s life.”
Arne Slot has been speaking to the BBC: “I think what we expect is what you always expect from City. They like to control the ball and possession. Maybe the difference between this [and normal] is [lack of] wingers. We have to wait and see in the first few minutes if they have changed anything in terms of formation.
“A bit of everything today. We’d both like to have the ball. If you’re sloppy [in a game like this] you have no chance. You have to be top on every aspect of your game. We have to be on top of our game in everything.”
“I still had one choice to make. Five defenders for four positions going into a month like this is far from ideal. The injuries won’t take one week. Dom played really well last week. We have four attackers available. Harvey Elliott is coming back and can help us.”
Jack Grealish, benched again, is meanwhile confined to saying “Merry Football-darts-mas” on Sky. Oh dear.
A wide-ranging interview that Pep gave to Sky. To say he looks a bit jumpy may be understating it.
Jose gets in touch: “I just wanted to comment that in South America and south of Spain Diaz and Dias are pronounced in the same way but in the rest of Spain Diaz is pronounced like “Diath”. So we would say “Diath” for the Liverpool player and Dias for the Manchester City player.”
For Liverpool: Conor Bradley had his Mbappe moment but also got injured so a timely return for Trent Alexander-Arnold. Joe Gomez replaces Ibrahima Konate and Dominik Szoboszlai replaces Curtis Jones in midfield.
For City: Ederson dropped, with Scott Carson on the bench too? Kyle Walker survives but Joso Gvardiol is also out. Ruben Dias is back. De Bruyne remains on the bench. Jack Grealish will also be riding pine.
The teams are here:
Liverpool: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah, Nunez, Gakpo, Diaz. Subs: Jaros, Davies, Endo, Nunez, Jones, Elliott, Quansah, Morton, Nyoni.
Manchester City XI: Ortega, Walker, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Lewis, Gundogan, Nunes, Silva, Foden, Haaland. Subs: Ederson, Carson, Grealish, Doku, De Bruyne, Gvardiol, Savinho, O’Reilly, McAtee
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“I don’t sleep as good as when I won every game. I’m the same person as four Premier Leagues in a row and in that situation, I have the same doubts. Now I want to be closer to the players, because I know they are suffering, I know they are thinking: ‘Oh God, how we were not able to win that game against Feyenoord?’ Or: ‘Why don’t we score when we had the chance to score against Spurs?’ They are suffering. What can I do, blame them? Absolutely not.”
Plenty of previews for this game.
Early team news
Liverpool
Subs from Jaros, Davies, Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Endo, Elliott, Morton, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Nyoni
Doubtful Bradley (hamstring)
Injured Konaté (knee, unknown), Alisson (hamstring, 7 Dec), Jota (ribs, 7 Dec), Chiesa (muscle, 7 Dec), Tsimikas (ankle, unknown)
Suspended None
Form WWDWWW Leading scorer Salah 10
Manchester City
Subs from Carson, Ortega, Wilson-Ebrand, McAtee, Perrone, Savinho, O’Reilly, Gündogan, Simpson-Pusey, Nunes, Aké
Doubtful Stones (unknown), Doku (hamstring)
Injured Bobb (leg, 1 Jan), Rodri (knee, 1 Jun), Kovacic (unknown, 21 Dec)
Suspended None
Form WWWLLL Leading scorer Haaland 12
Preamble
OK, this is massive. Certain early-season matches – and this is still pretty early in the season – carry too much hype, but with Manchester City wobbling – and wibbling – and Liverpool flying, this is a huge match. Could the gap between the two be 11 whole points? That would be shades of 2019-20, when Liverpool stormed to the Premier League. All eyes on Pep Guardiola, who took head-scratching too far the other night, and whose media appearances since Tuesday’s 3-3 draw with Feyenoord have held the look of a haunted man. Arne Slot has taken on the chilled-out entertainer role, cracking gags about Mo Salah when so many others are catastrophising, and his team look capable of several gears. City meanwhile, seem incapable of even grinding games out. They can’t, though, afford to lose this, and the great teams will always find a way. Now is the time for them to be stand up and be counted.
Kick-off is at 4pm UK time. Join me.
