Manchester City return to action after the international break as they make a trip to Anfield to face rivals Liverpool under the stewardship of Andoni Iraola for the first time.
Enzo Maresca and Man City face a huge test against Liverpool on Sunday.More Videos
Before the international break, Manchester City played out an end to end affair with Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium. The win saw the Blues go into the break three points clear at the top of the Premier League.
It was Enzo Fernandez who opened the scoring with a sensational free-kick, the first goal of his Manchester City career. Just three minutes later, however, Regis Le Bris’ side responded.
Brian Brobbey produced the equaliser, breaking clear of the City defence before slotting the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Following a 15 minute lull in the action, it was Rayan Cherki who found himself on the end of Antoine Semenyo’s pass. The Frenchman made no mistake, scoring his third goal of the season to restore City’s lead.
Manchester City travel to Anfield on Sunday to face Liverpool in the wake of the verdict by an independent panel declaring the club guilty of 114 breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations.cityxtra.co.ukManchester City travel to Anfield on Sunday to face Liverpool in the wake of the verdict by an independent panel declaring the club guilty of 114 breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations.
Liverpool vs Manchester City (Premier League): Match Preview, Team News, Head to Head, How to Watch
Just four minutes later, parity was restored once again by Brobbey. Another lapse in the Blues’ defence left the Dutchman unmarked in the area, allowing him to grab his second of the game.
A first goal of the season for Semenyo sent the hosts into the interval with the lead, but it was far from plain sailing from there.
Semenyo doubled his tally shortly after the restart, seemingly putting Manchester City in control, but just two minutes later Brobbey completed his hat-trick to ensure Sunderland remained within touching distance.
With the score at 4-3 it was Erling Haaland's turn to get amongst the goals, securing the win. A goal against Sunderland had previously eluded the prolific striker, he has now scored against every club that he has faced in the Premier League.
A goal against Sunderland had previously eluded the prolific striker, but that is no longer the case. Haaland has now scored against every club he has faced in the Premier League.
After securing a dramatic 5-3 victory, City went into the international break on a high. What followed during the break, however, could hardly have provided a greater contrast.
The Premier League announced that Manchester City had been found guilty on almost all of the 115 charges that had been brought against the club, transforming what had been a hugely positive weekend on the pitch into a remarkable few days off it.
What remains to be seen is how the Blues will respond. The club has remained defiant since the verdict, insisting upon its innocence.
Their first match following the international break will come at Anfield, where they can expect one of the most hostile atmospheres in club football.
Liverpool come into this one undefeated since the start of the season, playing out three draws and four wins in seven matches. The Reds currently sit sixth in the table, sharing identical records with Brentford, Leeds and Everton.
Here is how we expect Enzo Maresca's Manchester City side to line up as they face Liverpool!
Predicted XI
Starting in goal, who else but Gianluigi Donnarumma? The shot-stopper had a fantastic international break with Italy, producing brilliant displays against both France and Turkey, he'll no doubt need to produce more of the same in this weekend's clash.
Matheus Nunes has found his way back into a starting spot since returning from the knock he picked up ahead of the Community Shield. Abdukodir Khusanov could be in contention, should Enzo Maresca opt for a more outright defensive setup, but Nunes' performances in recent fixtures should see his run in the side continue.
Ruben Dias has been in fine form this season, that form continued into the international break with four wins from four for Portugal. The captain has been at his very best so far this season, even with a handful of mistakes in City's last match he more than made up for it with a goal-line clearance to keep his side in front.
Signed in January, Marc Guehi has made himself one of the first names on the team sheet in his time at the club. His performance in last season's edition of this fixture showed exactly why both clubs fought so hard for his signature, more of the same this time round and the Blues have a very good chance of continuing their 100% start to the season.
Josko Gvardiol has made himself Enzo Maresca's first choice left-back in the early stages of the season. In the opening five games, the Croatian has demonstrated exactly why at both ends of the pitch. The international break may have been one to forget, but at club level he has started the season at his absolute best.
Elliot Anderson has gone from strength to strength since his move to the Etihad this summer. Only Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol have covered more ground in a City shirt this year, only Lewis Dunk has made more line-breaking passes in the entire league. Just as Rodri was before his to Barcelona, Anderson has become crucial to Manchester City's midfield.
Club record signing Enzo Fernandez has won the hearts of everyone at the Etihad with his tireless performances and unrivalled passion. A game of this stature is exactly where the Argentine has always thrived, and no doubt an opportunity for him to show exactly what he's made of once again.
Rayan Cherki has had an exceptional start to the season, six goals and assists in seven games across all competitions, it's clear that the Frenchman is still intent on providing fans with as much pleasure as possible.
In the international break he continued that form with one goal and two assists across four games, all while playing a more defensive role than he is used to. If he can carry that across to club football, the sky might be the limit for Cherki.
Antoine Semenyo has been nominated for Premier League fans' player of the month in September after producing two goals and three assists across the opening five matches of the season.
The Ghanaian winger missed out on the international break with an ankle injury, but it is not thought to be serious so he is still likely to be in contention for this one.
Despite picking up a minor injury with Norway, Erling Haaland will no doubt be the man up front against Liverpool. The number nine has faced Liverpool on 11 occasions, in those matches he has scored eight and assisted one, it's fair to say this fixture is one that he will have been looking forward to.
With Jeremy Doku having only featured for 15 minutes since picking up a knock in the Community Shield, Iliman Ndiaye looks the most likely option to start in this one.
The former Everton man has started well in his time at the Etihad, the match against Sunderland may have been his best yet, a start in this one could give him the opportunity to take it to the next level.
Starting XI: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol; Anderson, Fernandez, Cherki; Semenyo, Haaland, Ndiaye
Substitutes: Rulli, Lewis, Khusanov, Ait-Nouri, O'Reilly, Kovacic, Bouaddi, Doku, Allan