Match Preview for Manchester Metropolis v Liverpool
In-form Manchester Metropolis tackle a resurgent Liverpool on Sunday with each seeking to show they’re nonetheless able to taking a Premier League title combat to Arsenal this season.
Metropolis sit six factors behind the league leaders having misplaced three of their 10 video games performed this season, albeit they’ve misplaced simply certainly one of their final 13 video games in all competitions and look to be discovering that consistency as soon as once more.
Champions Liverpool, who’re a degree adrift of Metropolis in third, halted an alarming run of 4 straight defeats of their final Premier League sport at dwelling to Aston Villa, earlier than they bought the higher of Actual Madrid at Anfield in what will probably be an enormous increase to Arne Slot and his facet.
Each have proven their faults already this season however a press release win on the Etihad for both facet would present Arsenal – who’re away at Sunderland on Saturday – that their cost in direction of a primary title since 2004 isn’t the foregone conclusion some are already making it out to be.
Will probably be a momentus event for Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola as he takes cost of his one thousandth sport in administration. Few can match the legendary Catalan’s document over that 18-year profession, having received 12 league titles in that point with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester Metropolis in addition to three Champions League titles.
Of the 999 video games managed thus far, Guardiola has overseen a shocking 715 victories, a observe document the supervisor himself was glad to confess he was in “awe” of throughout his pre-match press convention.
Requested if he is aware of what number of victories he has led his groups to, the 54-year-old stated: “In fact I do know, loads. The numbers are insane, I’m sorry to let you know.
“I’m not considering what number of however when you’ve gotten the milestones and also you learn what you’ve gotten achieved, the victories, the typical, not simply in Premier League however within the Champions League too, we’ve got received unimaginable issues in Barcelona, Bayern Munich and right here.
“It’s troublesome to achieve and if I begin once more I might not attain it, it’s an excessive amount of video games. A number of defeats, evaluating 1,000 video games and hopefully on Sunday I hope we will proceed.”
Reds boss Slot is earlier on in his managarial profession however has already proved he has the profitable mentality much like that of Pep’s after guiding Liverpool to a twentieth league title in his first season in cost however the second season has proved barely tougher.
However midfielder Dominik Szobozslai stated the Reds should not involved by slipping seven factors behind Arsenal and insists there will probably be loads extra twists and turns earlier than the tip of the season.
“The season is lengthy,” the Hungarian stated. “If we had been seven factors clear at this stage no one can be saying we had received the league already. Final season once we had been main the best way, we simply stayed calm and saved on going as a result of something can occur.
“We simply have to deal with ourselves, win our video games after which let’s see what different groups are doing. When every thing works, everyone seems to be glad and it’s all constructive – it’s straightforward to stay collectively.
“The toughest factor is when you end up ready the place we had been a number of weeks in the past – however even then we caught collectively and saved on going, believing it might flip for us.”
Manchester Metropolis v Liverpool workforce information
Pep Guardiola will once more be with out Rodri for the conflict with Liverpool, because the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner isn’t totally match and will probably be rested till after the worldwide break. Mateo Kovacic stays Metropolis’s solely confirmed absentee, with the Croatian midfielder sidelined long-term as a result of an ankle damage.
With no new health considerations, Guardiola is predicted to call an analogous squad to the one which thrashed Borussia Dortmund. Erling Haaland, who sits simply two objectives shy of 100 within the Premier League, will goal to achieve the milestone in what can be a record-breaking 108th look.
Alexander Isak stays a doubt for Liverpool after struggling a groin damage within the Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt, although Arne Slot has confirmed he is not going to begin even when handed match. Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring), Alisson Becker (hamstring) and Giovanni Leoni (ACL) are all dominated out.
Mohamed Salah, contemporary from scoring towards Aston Villa, wants only one extra objective or help to set a brand new Premier League document for objective involvements with a single membership, surpassing Wayne Rooney’s 276 for Manchester United.
Manchester Metropolis v Liverpool predicted lineups
Man Metropolis: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gonzalez; Cherki, Silva, Foden, Doku; Haaland
Liverpool: Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Ekitike
Manchester Metropolis v Liverpool stats
Man Metropolis misplaced each Premier League conferences with Liverpool final season, as many defeats as they’d suffered of their earlier 12 towards them (W4 D6). They final misplaced extra consecutively towards the Reds between March 2015 and December 2016 (4).
Liverpool received this precise fixture 2-0 final season however haven’t received consecutive away league video games towards Man Metropolis since a run of three between 1987 and 1991.
Manchester Metropolis have received 10 of their final 12 Premier League video games towards reigning champions (D1 L1), most not too long ago a 4-1 victory towards Liverpool at Anfield in February 2021.
For the reason that begin of April, Manchester Metropolis have received essentially the most factors within the Premier League (42), profitable 13 of 19 video games (D3 L3), whereas they’ve received 9 of their 10 on the Etihad in that point (L1).
