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Right now, the Premier League title race is white hot as football fanatics eagerly wait to see how the 2018/19 campaign will play out and who’ll end the season as Premier League champions.
In the blue corner, there’s a Manchester City side that have been there and done that, with Pep Guardiola looking to retain the trophy that the Citizens won last season.
Over in the red corner, there’s the Jurgen Klopp-managed Liverpool who are utterly desperate to end a 29-year wait for championship gold. Given their dominance in the 1970s and ‘80s, it’s absolutely crazy to think that Liverpool haven’t won a league title since 1990.
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Many feel Tottenham’s recent defeat away to Burnley has officially ruled Spurs out of the title race, but let’s face it, this has been a two-horse race for a long while now. It’s just a case of whether it’s City or Liverpool who end the season at the top of the table.
Looking at the two squads, some are claiming that Liverpool are majorly lacking strength in depth and that that is starting to show in their recent form. For City, of course, they’ve arguably got the very best squad in world football at their disposal.
With that in mind, then, let’s take a look at 5 of Manchester City’s squad players or those not deemed first choice who would unquestionably walk into the Liverpool starting line-up at this point in time.
#5 Nicolas Otamendi
Despite being a regular starter for Manchester City during the hugely successful 2017/2018 season, Argentine defender Nicolas Otamendi has now more often than not found himself on the sidelines.
Pep Guardiola sees Aymeric Laporte as his #1 starting centre-back; the French international having started every one of City’s Premier League games up until his current spell out with injury.
Alongside Laporte, Pep’s preferred option seems to be the cultured and classy John Stones, with Otamendi left twiddling his thumbs on the sidelines with club legend Vincent Kompany.
Given Liverpool’s current spate of defensive injuries, Jurgen Klopp would likely give anything to have a player like Nicolas Otamendi at his disposal. And even with a fully fit squad, you’d have to imagine that Otamendi would be nailed-on to start alongside Virgil van Dijk if he was at the Anfield club.
After all, the former Valencia defender is a far better player than Dejan Lovren or Joel Matip, and right now he’d also likely get the nod ahead of a fit Joe Gomez. Plus you have to throw into the mix that the Argentine has a nasty streak when called upon; which isn’t always necessarily a bad thing when you’re looking to win titles.
#4 Ilkay Gundogan
Jurgen Klopp is clearly a huge fan of German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan due to the pair’s impressive time together at Borussia Dortmund. Nowadays, of course, Klopp is managing Liverpool, whilst his former star midfield man is a part of Manchester City’s all-conquering squad.
Unfortunately for Gundogan, his time at the Etihad was initially hampered by injury woes, and he is now behind several others in the pecking order should City have a fully fit squad.
The German international has managed to amass a solid number of starts during this current 2018/19 campaign, although that is largely down to the early season absence of Kevin De Bruyne through injury.
With De Bruyne now back in the fold, the starting City midfield would see Gundogan benched in favour of the Belgian star, David Silva and Fernandinho. And even then, there’s also the prospect of Bernado Silva being another alternative in central midfield should Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane or Riyad Mahrez be deployed on the flanks.
If you look at the Liverpool starting XI, though, you’d have to fancy Gundogan as being more than capable of stepping straight into that midfield. For all the intelligence of Gini Wijnaldum and the sheer graft of James Milner and Jordan Henderson, Gundogan could provide more of an attacking, linking-up threat for the Reds.
#3 Riyad Mahrez
You can’t help but feel sorry for Riyad Mahrez at times. Sure, he’s taking home a ridiculous amount of money each and every week, living the glamorous life of a superstar footballer and all that comes with that, but if you are brought to a club as a huge record transfer signing, you’d usually expect to be the first name on the team sheet.
Unfortunately, Manchester City have got an on-fire Raheem Sterling on one wing and then the prospect of trying to fit Bernardo Silva and/or Leroy Sane into the team in the other wide position.
Even Pep Guardiola has come out to publicly say how he feels sorry and embarrassed for not playing former Leicester City man Mahrez more often.
With Liverpool seemingly struggling for alternatives in the attacking third, having Mahrez up their sleeve could make the difference between title also-rans and Premier League champions; especially with the option to move Mo Salah more central or to give Sadio Mane a much-needed break.
One other reason why Mahrez would be a great fit is the simple fact that he’s been there and done it in terms of winning the Premier League. After all, in that championship-winning Leicester side, Mahrez was so often the man to call upon to make a difference in the tightest of high-pressure situations.
#2 Vincent Kompany
Like many clubs out there, Manchester City have a whole slew of legends from decades gone by, with names such as Franny Lee, Mike Sumberbee and Shaun Goater just some of the stars to have achieved iconic status with City fans.
In terms of modern names, however, Vincent Kompany is one of those who stands out above the pack.
Having joined from Hamburg in 2008, Kompany has been at the Etihad since the early days of this club’s current, unprecedented success. And for the majority of those years, the Belgian powerhouse has been captain of the club in addition to an absolutely pivotal on-pitch cog in the City machine.
With so many injuries having now taken their toll on Vinny, his days as a guaranteed starter for the Citizens are over; he is now often seen as back-up to Aymeric Laporte and John Stones bar the odd ‘big game’ appearance.
Given that Liverpool are now starting to feel the pressure of leading the pack at the top of the Premier League – not to mention having a massive injury crisis in defence – the Anfield outfit would love to have a seasoned head like Kompany on board to help steer the ship.
Of course, it seems a given that Vincent Kompany will likely see out his playing days at the Citizens, regardless of how little game time he receives.
#1 Gabriel Jesus
Many saw the arrival of Gabriel Jesus at the Etihad as a move to signal the end of Sergio Aguero’s time at the club - or at least Kun’s time as a starter for Pep Guardiola’s men.
To the credit of the prolific Argentinian, Aguero has become arguably even more important to City in that time; adapting his game to fit in more with the mantra that Guardiola has. That, however, has meant that Gabriel Jesus has often been reduced to the role of substitute, coming in for Aguero when he was injured or in need of a rest.
Right now, Liverpool are crying out for some options in attack. Mo Salah seems to have to do everything himself, Sadio Mane looks desperate for a rest, and Roberto Firmino is another one whose intense workrate is starting to take its toll.
Looking at alternative options, Xherdan Shaqiri is a clear standout option for Jurgen Klopp, but then you’re looking at Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi – two players whose Anfield days seem numbered.
Even if all of Liverpool’s players are fit and firing, you could argue that Gabriel Jesus would be the icing on the proverbial cake for Klopp’s side; even affording the option of dropping Firmino back to an attacking midfield role to bring some spark to the middle of the pitch.
