In what could possibly decide the winner of the Premier League, defending champions Manchester City will play host to Liverpool. Both teams, who have been on form as of late, should provide us with a thriller. That being said, City face a lot of questions regarding their lineup following the narrow win against Atletico Madrid. Will Foden get the start over Bernado Silva, or can Grealish finally make a statement by giving Alexander-Arnold trouble on the wing? It will be interesting to see how Pep Guardiola uses his tactics this weekend.
How can City create pressure?
We can all expect for City to put their foot on the gas the second the whistle is blown. Putting Foden up front will leave Joel Matip and Virgil centralized around him. This can create one-on-one space for Jack Grealish to work his magic, although we haven’t seen much of it this year. The same goes for Raheem Sterling; he should find himself in many scenarios where it’s just him and Andrew Robertson going at it. It is all but certain that Jurgen Klopp will play conservatively, which should give the wingers plenty of opportunity.
The threat
Man City controlling the ball would come of no surprise, so can Klopp’s men find a consistent source to attack? It’s going to have to be on fast-paced counter attacks through Sadio Mane and Mo Salah. “Thread the needle” type passes are what Liverpool need to thrive off of. After all, The Reds rank third in goals scored off of counter attacks (4), and need to add another to challenge City. When Liverpool is in control of possession on MC’s side of the field, they have to eliminate making costly mistakes. As of recent, we have seen Van Dijk up near midfield along with the opposing team’s striker when Liverpool are attacking. When a poor pass is made, Virgil, along with Andrew Robertson, are left in dreadful situations trying to beat out a striker. Raheem Sterling is one of the fastest players in the league, not to mention.
Predictions
By far the toughest fixture to predict this upcoming weekend. When I think of who is going to create more chances, I believe Liverpool will. They have such a high-paced counter attack that is so hard to come by. But on the other side, I believe City will create better chances, that are more likely to fall in the net. Pep has them playing very solid ball right now, and I just can’t see them collapsing at Etihad. Both teams are coming off big 1st leg wins in the Champions League, so it will definitely be intriguing to see which team can continue their momentum, and which one will come to a halt.