Sterling (left) and Virgil van Dijk (right) will jostle again this weekend (photo credit: Anthony Devlin/ Getty Images).
Liverpool vs Manchester City Preview: A Battle At The Very Top
By Leanne Prescott
The top two teams in the Premier League face-off this Sunday, with both sides in tantalising form so far this season. Both teams will be desperate to draw first blood in search of making the a big move in the title race.
Undoubtedly the biggest challenge of the season for Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, the encounter promises to be some spectacle with both teams devoted to electric, attacking football. It was Klopp who came out on top last season, dominating in the Premier League and in Europe, with a 5-1 aggregate win to advance in the Champions League.
Such a record will give the Reds confidence heading into the game, but any result will heavily depend on the squad responding from a dismal display in Naples on Wednesday evening.
Liverpool were far from their usual selves in Italy. Showing no creativity which culminated in a staggering zero shots on target, The Reds allowed Napoli to dominate across the park and bag a 1-0 victory. Failing to make substitutions to effect the flow of the game despite ample opportunities, questions over the manager’s in-game tactics have since re-emerged. A win on Sunday however, and the Anfield faithful will forget all about the disappointing midweek outing.
Meanwhile, Manchester City came through unscathed against Hoffenheim in their European fixture and will take confidence from their current form. Kevin De Bruyne’s return to training is another huge boost and there are rumblings he could be available for the heavyweight clash. Although is may be a game too soon for the Belgian. To have a player of his quality back in the ranks will be welcome news to Guardiola as he tries to rectify the defeats from last year.
Ahead of the match, Liverpool will be sweating on the fitness of Naby Keita who was taken to hospital after a back spasm against Napoli. Tests since confirmed there was no serious damage done and the midfielder was pictured in training on Friday, but fears are still rife over whether he’ll be able to start.
It seems more likely that the £48 million midfielder will pick up a role on the bench, leaving Jordan Henderson as a potential replacement.
Should Klopp want a more creative presence in the side after a poor performance midweek, Adam Lallana has been confirmed to be in full training and could make a surprise return while Xherdan Shaqiri shone in a midfield ten role earlier in the campaign.
For City, they are without Fabian Delph and Claudio Bravo for the match. Ilkay Gundogan is also expected to miss out after picking up a hamstring injury against Hoffenheim.
It promises to be a frenetic game between two sides tipped to battle it out for the title this season. Liverpool have made an impressive start to the Premier League campaign and will fancy themselves given the head-to-head record, but you’d be foolish to discount Manchester City’s quality.
