As Liverpool prepare to face Manchester City in a hugely anticipated Premier League clash, outspoken BBC pundit Chris Sutton has made a bold prediction.
The Reds host City at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, with Gary Neville recently predicting that the visitors could be in for a torrid 90 minutes in front of a fervent home crowd:
“If they want an understanding of how angry the game is going to be, then Anfield will tell them. Like you would never believe. I suspect there may be banners, there will certainly be chanting. There will be a reception for them like you have never seen. It will be a brutal day.”
Now, former Blackburn Rovers striker Sutton has discussed the game for BBC Sport, backing City to stun Liverpool, with Erling Haaland proving to be the match-winner on the day:
“I’ve heard people suggest that City’s players will be frazzled because of what is going on with the club off the pitch, but I don’t see it that way. I suspect that, along with the City fans, there will be this siege mentality now where they think ‘everyone hates us, everyone wants us to lose, everyone wants us to be relegated’ – even if I don’t think that is actually the case, because there are actually a lot of balanced football fans out there.
“City are likely to get a hostile reception at Anfield but I think they will be able to handle it. Liverpool are still a work in progress under Andoni Iraola too. They have not convinced me so far when I’ve watched them this season. Based on all of that, I am going for City here. I can just picture Erling Haaland scoring their winner, and celebrating with a big grin on his face.”
Liverpool must keep their composure vs. Man City
This is clearly going to be an emotional occasion at Anfield, with the Liverpool fans feeling wronged by City being found guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons.
But while the Reds will hope to be buoyed by a superb atmosphere, Andoni Iraola must also ensure that his players don’t lose their heads and get too involved.
City are still a team littered with elite players, not least Haaland, so it is going to be an extremely tough afternoon against a side with a siege mentality, with Neville raising doubts over whether Liverpool can get the job done:
“I’ve got one worry about Sunday. If this was Klopp’s Liverpool they would drive them into the ground and literally finish them off in one day. They’d probably beat them [by] three or four. I’m not sure on this Liverpool team.”
Whatever happens, though, this has the potential to be a spectacular match full of drama, and if Liverpool do pick up three points, it will feel like a significant moment under Iraola.
Defeat would be a step in the wrong direction, however, so as much as there is a lot of focus off the field, this is a massive game for both sides on the pitch.