Liverpool will be reunited with Pep Lijnders at Anfield on Sunday as Manchester City come to Merseyside.
The Dutchman spent 10 years with the Reds, winning the lot as Jurgen Klopp’s very visible assistant manager.
Lijnders could get a lively reception from the Anfield crowd after surprisingly deciding to join Pep Guardiola at City last summer.
Are you confident Liverpool will beat Manchester City this weekend?
Alisson before Marseille vs Liverpool - UEFA Champions League
Credit: Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu/Getty Images
From a purely footballing point of view, Lijnders did not look an especially good fit to work alongside Guardiola, with his favoured style of intense pressing not necessarily chiming with the Spaniard’s vision of the game. That has so far been borne out in the results of City’s season, which has not been a completely smooth affair.
And as Liverpool look to deal them another blow on Sunday, the Reds reportedly think Lijnders has implemented a tactic at Man City which Hugo Ekitike in particular can exploit.
Liverpool readying Hugo Ekitike for maximum damage
Ekitike is in brilliant form for Liverpool, and as journalist Miguel Delaney notes in his ‘Reading The Game‘ newsletter on Friday, the Reds think he could be just the man to exploit Lijnders and City on Sunday.
“As noted in this newsletter on Monday, opposition sides are now fully aware of how assistant Pep Lijnders’ shift to a more intense pressing style has left City vulnerable late in games,” says Delaney.
Manchester City assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders looks on before the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester City at Molineux on August 16, 2025 in Wolverhampton, England.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
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“Liverpool have consequently been working out how Hugo Ekitike can exploit that space in the final stages. The club believes the sleek forward has reached another level in recent weeks – precisely why they were so keen to sign him. There is a sense he could become one of the best strikers in the world.
“That progress is also tied to Liverpool’s own confidence, which is far higher than when City beat them 3-0 in November – and even higher than just two weeks ago.”
Ekitike is Liverpool’s quickest and most effective forward right now, and if the Reds are to triumph on Saturday, he is going to be key to that.
What kind of reception should Pep Lijnders get at Anfield on Sunday?
He's not been shy in speaking about the Reds 👀
Pep Lijnders watching Manchester City warm up ahead of their UEFA Champions League match against Galatasaray at the Etihad Stadium (Credit: Getty Images/Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA
Can Liverpool beat Man City?
City have been a difficult team to predict this season, much more than other campaigns when they have felt like a sure bet to win every weekend.
But while that gives Liverpool encouragement for Sunday, it is also fair to point out that the Reds have been equally unpredictable.
Anfield seems to lift itself for big occasions like this, though, and Guardiola’s record at the stadium is surprisingly terrible, even with his very best City teams.
This year’s iteration is certainly not that, and if Liverpool can harness the crowd in a way they did so well against Newcastle last weekend, they will stand a much better chance.
Tactics will obviously be important, and Liverpool must aim to hurt City whenever they can, with Ekitike at the forefront of that, but this feels like one of those matches where the crowd can be the decisive factor.
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