Liverpool host Manchester City in a huge clash at the top of the Premier League on Sunday afternoon at Anfield.
The Reds are six points clear of Arsenal, who battered West Ham on Saturday, and can put 11 points between themselves and defending champions City with a win. They have been flying under Arne Slot, winning 17 of their 19 matches across all competitions so far this season, and begin the match as heavy favourites.
City are in dreadful form, on a six-match winless streak, and desperately need a result to stay in the title race. The absence of Rodri and Mateo Kovacic in midfield are major blows for Pep Guardiola, whose side surrendered a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in mid-week.
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Slot has plenty of decisions to make for his starting XI on Sunday, with lots of competition for places amid this purple patch of form. His decisions at the back are informed by injuries, rather than form, with Alisson still sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Caoimhin Kelleher will continue in goal after saving a penalty in each of Liverpool ’s last two games. The Republic of Ireland international was superb against Real Madrid, keeping out Kylian Mbappe, and has been more than an able replacement for the first-choice Alisson.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is fit again and should replace Conor Bradley at right-back, despite his deputy’s man-of-the-match performance against Real. Bradley came off with a hamstring injury at the end of that match and is expected to be sidelined for around a month. Thankfully, Slot has confirmed that Alexander-Arnold is ready to come straight back into the team.
Trent Alexander-Arnold right-back of Liverpool and England during the warm-up before the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid C.F. at Anfield on November 27, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Trent Alexander-Arnold is back fit and should start at right-back ( Image: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
HAVE YOUR SAY! What would your Liverpool starting line-up be? Comment below.
There will be a change in central defence, too, with Ibrahima Konate unavailable after going down in the final minutes against Real. “So frustrating to pick up this injury right at the end of a great game on Wednesday night,” he posted on Instagram. “Now we start the recovery process but one thing I promise is I will come back and be the best I can be once again.”
Joe Gomez came off the bench against Real and is expected to get the nod ahead of Jarell Quansah to partner Virgil van Dijk. Kostas Tsimikas has an ankle injury, so isn’t able to put pressure on Andy Robertson at left-back.
Slot has lots of in-form midfielders to call upon, with Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones chief among them. The youngsters have excelled in recent weeks and are nailed on starters, with Alexis Mac Allister likely to be given the nod ahead of Dominik Szoboszlai as the third central midfielder.
Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota are still unavailable but probably wouldn’t threaten the starting line-up anyway, with Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez in superb form. They will be confident of terrorising a fragile City backline, which showed its vulnerabilities against Slot’s former club in mid-week.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Roberton; Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
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