Premier League: Sky Blues Are After Liverpool’s Top Spot

Liverpool vs Manchester City

Premier League champions Manchester City head to Anfield on Sunday for a blockbuster top of the table clash, the victors of which will almost certainly lead the pack going into the international break.

Liverpool are top on 14 points, one ahead of Manchester City, who lead a group of five teams on 13. Both were in Champions League action in midweek, and while Liverpool had a comfortable 1-5 victory away to Porto, Manchester City lost 2-0 away to Paris Saint-Germain as Lionel Messi scored his first goal for his new club.

As Liverpool and Manchester City have both emerged as real powerhouses of the European game, this is now one of the biggest games in the football world; it ranks alongside the Milan Derby and El Clasico and we’re sure to see another cracker!

Talking Points

Goal-happy Liverpool must keep a tight defence

If Liverpool are to beat Manchester City, they need to be 100 per cent on their game all the way around the pitch, or they must hope the Sky Blues have an off day. Well, the latter happens around once a year so head coach Jurgen Klopp will concentrate on his own team.

Current Liverpool top scorer Mohamed Salah has already scored five goals in the Premier League — Mohamed Salah before Liverpool’s match against Porto in the Champions League

The Reds have made an impressive start to the campaign, domestically and in Europe. They are top of both tables and they have been scoring for fun, bagging 20 goals in six games.

Mo Salah has five league goals already and scored two in Liverpool’s thrashing of Porto, with Roberto Firmino also bagging a brace and the returned-to-form Sadio Mane also on target.

Scoring three goals in each of the previous five matches returned four wins and a draw, a 3-3 with Brentford last week. The Reds also conceded two against AC Milan in the Champions League, so Manchester City’s frightening front six will expect to breach the hosts’ defence at least once.

Centre-back Virgil van Dijk has lined up alongside Joel Matip over the last two games, but Joe Gomez came on as a substitute against Porto. With right wing-back Trent Alexander-Arnold out with an abductor strain, James Milner deputised at right back. Klopp may go with him again, allowing Gomez to partner Van Dijk.

Pep looking for that ruthless streak

At the outset of the 2021/22 campaign, the Premier League 2021 betting odds backed the Sky Blues to retain their title but after impressive starts from Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United, the odds began to bunch.

Last week’s Premier League 2021 results changed all that. City were totally dominant in their victory over Chelsea though they had to settle for a 1-0 score-line. Meanwhile. Liverpool were held by newcomers Brentford, Manchester United were mugged by Aston Villa at Old Trafford and Arsenal won the North London derby to shatter any Spurs’ fans dreams that new manager Nuno might alter their image of perennial also-rans any time soon.

opacity 0

CLICK HERE
TO SEE UPDATED ODDS

Serie A

So Manchester City, who strolled to the title last term, don’t appear to have a nemesis to be too concerned about. Although, Pep will not underestimate anyone, particularly Chelsea, who will surely come back stronger. This match against Liverpool is a chance for the Sky Blues to really assert their authority by beating their two biggest rivals over the space of eight days.

Despite losing to PSG, the Manchester City boss can be pleased with the overall performance of his team and he freely admitted that it is virtually impossible to control his former Barcelona player Lionel Messi. And he has players of his own to strike fear in the hearts of fans up and down the country, with the quality of Kevin de Bruyne, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish supporting attacker Gabriel Jesus and, and the excellent Ruben Dias marshalling the defence. This is a complete team…which is now looking to rediscover its ruthless edge.

History

In the Premier League era, since 1993, the Reds have won twice as many of the head to head clashes as their opponents, at 26 to 13, and there have been 16 draws.

But Manchester City won 1-4 at Anfield last season on their procession to the title, as Ilkay Gundogan, with two goals, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden took advantage of sloppy Liverpool defending.

Liverpool are unbeaten at home in 11 games, while Manchester City have won their last two away games, to Leicester City and Chelsea by a single goal.