Liverpool returns to Premier League action tomorrow afternoon with a tough visit from top of the table Manchester City, who have been in fine form this season and will a real challenge to overcome.
Pep Guardiola’s side are unbeaten in their last 13 games in the league with a staggering 11 wins and 2 draws, having scored 29 goals and only conceding twice which is an incredible run of games with City clearly the team to beat in the Premier League at the moment.
Considering their great form, Liverpool are still only 7 points away from the Manchester club even after their poor results this season – which is an incredible achievement given the number of injuries that the Reds have sustained this season as well as the personnel of players that have been absent due to those – with our only three centre-backs absent for the season as well as having the majority of the club’s first-choice XI out at times over the course of this season.
Our record against Manchester City in the Premier League over the last five games is a bit of a mixed bag with us winning one game to Man City’s two, with the other two games ending in a draw. The recent 1-1 draw against them back in November is a positive to take into the game and hopefully, Jurgen Klopp will have some stronger options to choose from tomorrow.
So, with that being said, what can we expect from the game?
Can Liverpool beat Manchester City?
Yes
No
Player to watch out for – Manchester City, Ruben Dias
I often end up selecting an attacker or a midfielder for the player to watch out for and it is easy to understand why – often the attention heads towards those attacking players that make the most evident mark on a game but this time around, it is impossible to ignore the impact this player has had on Manchester City since signing in the summer and that is Ruben Dias.
The Portuguese international has been a revelation for Manchester City’s defence after them struggling to find the right formula despite spending so much money over the years – but they seem to finally have found that missing piece in Dias, with him also helping to revive John Stones’ City career alongside him with the pair proving a formidable pairing.
I think Liverpool will have a real task on their hand at trying to get past the pair tomorrow but especially Dias as the defender seems to be everywhere for Pep’s side with his physicality and tackling ability that has been key to the club’s progress.
Player to watch out for – Liverpool, Sadio Mané
If the news is true and he will be fit for the Manchester City game and ready to start, then I don’t doubt that Senegalese winger Sadio Mané will have a huge impact on the game and the Liverpool side going forward after their failure to score against Brighton on Wednesday in our 1-0 defeat.
Mané has this grit and bite when attacking and can make something out of nothing at times – and I think Liverpool have really missed that since he’s been sidelined for the past few matches.
I think if the Reds have any hopes of winning this game against this in form City side then Mané will be the key to that and hopefully, we will see him start the game and help lead the club to a big win against the Cityzens.
Score Prediction: Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City
Even a draw seems like a big shout at the moment given both sides’ current form but I think Liverpool have that ability in the bigger games to produce a result. This season has seen us perform well against the bigger sides and get some good results but against the teams lower in the table we appear to have been found out with most of them applying similar tactics of this counter-press that nullifies Liverpool’s attack – leading to most sides getting a draw or even a win against us this season.
I have high hopes that Liverpool can prevent an embarrassing or damaging result tomorrow but I think a point apiece will be a fair reflection so I am going for a 1-1 draw.
What do you think Liverpool fans, what are your predictions for the game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below…