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 struggle 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 considered 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 some extent adrift of Metropolis in third, halted an alarming run of 4 straight defeats of their final Premier League recreation at dwelling to Aston Villa, earlier than they bought the higher of Actual Madrid at Anfield in what might be an enormous increase to Arne Slot and his aspect.
Each have proven their faults already this season however a press release win on the Etihad for both aspect would present Arsenal – who’re away at Sunderland on Saturday – that their cost in direction of a primary title since 2004 is just not the foregone conclusion some are already making it out to be.
It is going to be a momentus event for Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola as he takes cost of his a thousandth recreation in administration. Few can match the legendary Catalan’s file 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 to date, Guardiola has overseen a shocking 715 victories, a monitor file 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 mentioned: “In fact I do know, lots. The numbers are insane, I’m sorry to inform you.
“I’m not pondering what number of however when you may have the milestones and also you learn what you may have executed, the victories, the common, not simply in Premier League however within the Champions League too, we now have received unbelievable issues in Barcelona, Bayern Munich and right here.
“It’s troublesome to achieve and if I begin once more I’d 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 are able to proceed.”
Reds boss Slot is earlier on in his managarial profession however has already proved he has the successful 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 harder.
However midfielder Dominik Szobozslai mentioned the Reds should not involved by slipping seven factors behind Arsenal and insists there might be loads extra twists and turns earlier than the top of the season.
“The season is lengthy,” the Hungarian mentioned. “If we have been seven factors clear at this stage no person could be saying we had received the league already. Final season once we have been main the way in which, we simply stayed calm and saved on going as a result of something can occur.
“We simply must deal with ourselves, win our video games after which let’s see what different groups are doing. When every little thing works, everyone seems to be glad and it’s all optimistic – it’s simple to stay collectively.
“The toughest factor is when you end up ready the place we have 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 is just not totally match and might be rested till after the worldwide break. Mateo Kovacic stays Metropolis’s solely confirmed absentee, with the Croatian midfielder sidelined long-term on account of an ankle harm.
With no new health issues, Guardiola is anticipated to call an identical squad to the one which thrashed Borussia Dortmund. Erling Haaland, who sits simply two objectives shy of 100 within the Premier League, will purpose to achieve the milestone in what could be a record-breaking 108th look.
Alexander Isak stays a doubt for Liverpool after struggling a groin harm within the Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt, although Arne Slot has confirmed he won’t begin even when handed match. Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring), Alisson Becker (hamstring) and Giovanni Leoni (ACL) are all dominated out.
Mohamed Salah, recent from scoring towards Aston Villa, wants only one extra purpose or help to set a brand new Premier League file for purpose 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 lately a 4-1 victory towards Liverpool at Anfield in February 2021.
- For the reason that begin of April, Manchester Metropolis have received probably the most factors within the Premier League (42), successful 13 of 19 video games (D3 L3), whereas they’ve received 9 of their 10 on the Etihad in that point (L1).