Liverpool will look rusty after Saturday’s international clash as Manchester City welcome them to the Premier League in what is arguably the toughest game of the competition’s calendar.
The match is scheduled for 12.30pm UK time, much to the chagrin of Jurgen Klopp. It will be a crucial first chapter in the title race as league leaders and reigning champions City take on second-placed Liverpool.
The Reds should see this performance as an opportunity to show they are genuine title contenders in terms of performance and revenue after slipping to fifth in a disastrous 2022/23 season. A win would give them a two point lead. It’s not off the table, but it’s the hardest three points to reach. City have not lost at the Etihad for over a year after beating Brentford 2-1 before the World Cup break. Their unbeaten run at home now stretches to 25 games, including their last 21 wins.And Liverpool have not won a game in their last six visits to City, including five in the Premier League and once in the Carabao Cup. M11’s last win came in the second leg of the 2017/18 Champions League quarter-finals, where they won 2-1, 5-1 on aggregate, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino scoring.
Their last league win dates back eight years to November 2015. Klopp’s eighth game in charge of the club, when Manuel Pellegrini was still City manager, was a 4-1 win. Since then, Liverpool have recorded 3 draws and 4 defeats in 7 matches, scoring and conceding just 7 goals.Twice previously, Manchester United traveled to City while the two sides were in the midst of a title battle, but Klopp failed to win both times. In 2019, the hosts won a classic 2-1 game that turned the title race around, while in 2022 the two sides drew 2-2, leaving Pep Guardiola’s men a point clear. This may not matter, given the unprecedented challenges of reaching the top.
When the two teams competed head-to-head, Guardiola was unable to secure a win at Anfield. But that seems to be something that Klopp lacks. This is a manager who has achieved almost everything at Liverpool, including winning trophies and historic victories against strong teams.Saturday offers the chance to change that, but Klopp knows his players will have to perform well to have any chance.
