Manchester City and Liverpool are set to clash at the Etihad this Sunday in what is set to be the biggest game of the Premier League season to date with the winner here likely putting one hand on the title.
It’s been a stunning Premier League season once again for each club. And for the second time in three campaigns both sides will battle it out at the Etihad in a must-win matchup with just one point between table-topping Manchester City and second-placed Liverpool.
It has been a stunning run of form from the Reds in 2022. Back in January after City defeated Arsenal 2-1, the champions took an eight-point lead at the top of the table and it seemed as if nobody was going to catch them in what had become a battle for the runners-up spot for the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea instead.
Jurgen Klopp’s men have instead come back swinging, as they have gone on to win the League Cup final, make it to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, and also put one foot in the semi-finals of the Champions League. In reality, there is absolutely no reason why Liverpool fans cannot dream about potentially winning an unrivaled quadruple in just a few weeks time.
Despite a phenomenal run in 2022, a loss here for Klopp’s record-breaking side is going to seriously dampen their Premier League hopes, as the four-point gap will return with just seven games left on the schedule. A Pep Guardiola side very rarely loses from this position, and in truth, it’s usually them doing the pushing and turning things around, as was the case three years ago.
That famous 2019 clash at the Etihad saw City win 2-1 and close the gap to four points over Liverpool. But a loss here will mean the Reds go two clear and they themselves shouldn’t lose grip on the title from that stage.
Very little is separating them in the league outside of the points tally, with City scoring 70 times in the Premier League compared to the Reds’ league-high 77. Moreover, the champions have conceded just 18 times in the top flight, with Liverpool conceding only 20. No side in the Premier League comes close to these excellent records.
In fact, City are also heading towards their best-ever defensive record in the Premier League at their current pace. Although it won’t match the 15 goals conceded from Chelsea back in 2004/05, it just goes to show how much Guardiola’s men have adapted from their high-scoring ways to become equally as stout on the back end
Both sides were in the Champions League in midweek, and while the Citizens allowed for certain players to get more of a rest than Liverpool did, each club put in a fantastic display.
City defeated Atletico Madrid at the Etihad in a game that saw the opposition have zero efforts on their goal, while also registering a stunning 71% of ball possession. Klopp’s side eased past Benfica with Ibrahima Konate netting his first Liverpool goal, before Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz added a goal each.
The game however, is absolutely winnable for both sides, and there is an argument for it going either way. It’s the most important game of the season, and one of the biggest in the Premier League’s 30-year history, as we either witness Liverpool take a giant stride towards a record-equalling 20th league title, or witness the champions edge closer to the defense of their crown.
City team news
Liverpool’s biggest advantage heading into this one will be the injury to Ruben Dias. The defender has been City’s Virgil van Dijk-esque signing that has screwed their defensive line even tighter in recent seasons. He will miss this game, meaning John Stones and Aymeric Laporte are likely to play. Nathan Ake was at left-back in the midweek Champions League clash, so expect Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker in the full-back roles, with the latter missing that game due to suspension.
Phil Foden came on and had an immediate impact against Atletico as he assisted the game’s only goal within seconds of entering the match. And his role off the bench last time out likely means he plays here. The City youth product always turns up in this fixture, as he has never lost to Liverpool and scored three times while assisting twice in four games against them.
Liverpool team news
The Reds have just the one injury to deal with here as Fabio Tavares is likely out, but this wouldn’t change much anyhow, as the world’s best front three of Mohamed Salah, Mane, and Diogo Jota all likely play. Despite Roberto Firmino’s great record in this fixture – that forward trio have netted a combined 63 times this season. Diaz scored in midweek, however, and is likely to get minutes, especially if the game is tied in the second half.
-Grant McQuillan
Twitter: @Grant_McQuillan