Arne Slot
Liverpool are in excellent form under Arne Slot
As Liverpool fans filed away happy from Anfield on Wednesday night, they had one thought ‘now for City’.
As undoubtedly sweet beating Real Madrid was after all the hurt inflicted by them during the Jurgen Klopp years, Sunday’s showdown with Manchester City is even bigger. Win and Liverpool will go 11 points clear of their rivals at the top of the Premier League, effectively 12 when the Reds’ much-superior goal difference is taken into account.
It’s reminiscent of November 2019, when Liverpool beat City 3-1 at Anfield to move nine points ahead of the Blues and eight points clear at the top of the Premier League. Then Liverpool were able to translate the momentum from their flying start into three precious points and they burned City off to walk to their first title in 30 years.
Now Liverpool have the same opportunity and they must seize it to capitalise on the sides’ contrasting form. While the Reds are flying under Arne Slot, City are in the midst of their deepest crisis under Pep Guardiola.
[
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Although they ended their five-match losing streak against Feyenoord, the manner in which they collapsed in the final 15 minutes as the Dutch side scored three times to draw 3-3 at the Etihad was truly jaw dropping. City’s mushrooming problems go way beyond missing just the injured Rodri and they have weaknesses all over the pitch.
They can’t defend, have no midfield, Ilkay Gundogan and Kyle Walker look past it and they are too reliant on Erling Haaland for goals. Haaland took his tally for the season to 17 with his double against Feyenoord, but City’s next highest scorers have just three.
Guardiola is going through the worst run of his career
Guardiola is going through the worst run of his career
Compare this to Liverpool and while Mohamed Salah has 12, Luis Diaz has nine and Cody Gakpo seven. It doesn’t help that City did not replace Julian Alvarez in the summer and they have no other recognised No 9 to help Haaland.
Too many of City stars have become anonymous and Ederson and Josko Gvardiol have suffered a collapse in form, while Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden are well below their best. Jack Grealish was dreadful against Feyenoord and has not scored for City in 30 appearances over the last 11 months.
They have conceded at least two goals in six successive games for the first time since 1963 and are in meltdown mode. Their confidence is through the floor and too many of them look shell-shocked.
Liverpool must take advantage of all this and anything other than victory will feel like letting City off the hook. The Reds must believe City will recover and they have won a record four successive titles among Guardiola’s 18 trophies at the Etihad.
History shows that the only way to beat City to the title is to open up an unassailable gap in the first half of the season, as Liverpool did five years ago. They don’t lose title fights, as Liverpool and Arsenal know only too well.
Sunday is Liverpool’s moment - and they must grab it.
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