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Liverpool will host Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday, knowing well that a defeat could end their slim hopes of retaining the Premier League title.
Jürgen Klopp’s side will have a few key players back for the clash and that should help them pose a bigger threat to Manchester City who will still be favourites.
Pep Guardiola’s side have been impressive at the back this season, and their attackers have got the job done, so they seem to have the right balance this season.
Let’s take a look at 5 players to watch when the two sides play on Sunday:
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#1 Mohamed Salah
Manchester City have the best defence in the league this season, but Liverpool have the best goal-scorer in their squad, so it is going to be an interesting battle.
Salah’s performances rarely drop for Liverpool, and even if he isn’t at his fluent best, he still manages to find a way to get on the score-sheet.
With Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino struggling for goals this season, Salah’s 15 strikes have been ever so important for Liverpool. And they will need him to be at his best on Sunday.
Liverpool have even tried to play Thiago in a more attacking role for the Spaniard to find Salah more often, and that has worked to an extent. Against Manchester City, the duo will need to be at their best once again if the Reds are to avoid blanks in back-to-back league games.
#2 Ilkay Gundogan
Ilkay Gundogan’s goals and attacking runs from midfield have been crucial to Manchester City this season, and the pressure to deliver in a big game like this in Kevin De Bruyne’s absence will be bigger.
The German has scored seven times this season, and has often made the right runs into the box which have been hard to track.
It remains to be seen how Liverpool will decide to play against Gundogan. With Fabinho fit and a couple of defensive options to choose from, Gundogan could come up against Jordan Henderson in midfield. That will be an interesting battle to keep an eye on.
#3 Sadio Mane
Seven goals in 19 league games might not necessarily be a bad return, but Sadio Mane will not be pleased with that.
The Senegalese’s last appearances came in the defeat against Manchester United in late January, and he will want to make up for lost time.
Mane is likely to come up against Kyle Walker, and he is perhaps one of the few attackers who can outmuscle the England international, and beat him for pace.
Mane on song is a hard player to stop, and he has a decent record against Manchester City. Certainly, a player to keep an eye on.
#4 Ruben Dias
It’s amazing how well Ruben Dias has acclimatised to the Premier League in his first season. While his individual defending cannot be praised enough, the way he has made around him better is another important facet of his gameplay.
City have conceded a mere 13 goals, and players like John Stones have become un-droppable in their recent run that has seen them climb to the summit of the league table.
The Citizens have benefitted from Dias’ positioning and ability to organise the defence, something that we rarely saw after Vincent Kompany’s departure in 2019.
Liverpool’s attack will not find it easy to breach the in-form City defence, but lest we forget, on their day they can beat any team. This is going to be a big test for Dias and co.
#5 Ozan Kabak
Liverpool made a deadline day move for Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak, and it’s likely that the latter will play on Sunday.
The Reds need Henderson’s presence in midfield for his work rate and distribution, so Klopp might have to play Kabak with Fabinho at the heart of the defence.
Kabak is expected to come up against a team with intricate patterns of play, but if City go with a false nine and use Bernardo Silva in a central role, things could get interesting.
The Turk likes entering a foot race and going head to head with forwards, so it remains to be seen how he will cope with a much different style and setup.
