The upcoming face-off between Klopp's Reds and Pep Guardiola's City promises to be a thrilling encounter. Guardiola's team, who secured a treble last season, holds a slim one-point lead over Liverpool in the league standings.
The anticipation is high, especially after City's winning streak was abruptly halted in a dramatic 4-4 draw against Chelsea two weeks ago. The match saw former City players Cole Palmer, Raheem Sterling, and Mateo Kovacic facing their old team, with Palmer stealing the spotlight by scoring a crucial penalty in injury time.
Despite City's impressive attacking display in that game, including goals from Erling Haaland, Manuel Akanji, and Rodri, their winning streak ended, leaving them just one point ahead of Liverpool. Both Liverpool and Arsenal are hot on the heels of the defending champions, and depending on other results, Tottenham Hotspur or Aston Villa could also pose a threat to City's lead.
City's formidable home record adds another layer of intrigue to the match. Since a 1-1 draw with Everton on New Year's Eve 2022, they have won all 15 Premier League home matches in 2023 and boast a 23-game winning streak overall in front of their home crowd. They are on the brink of equaling a historic record set by Sunderland in the late 19th century, with 24 successive home wins.
Liverpool, having conceded their "best-of-the-rest" status to Arsenal last season, currently sits in second place, propelled by the goal-scoring prowess of Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota. Their last away matches, however, have not been ideal, with just one win in five and no clean sheets on the road since May.
Defensive vulnerabilities have haunted them in recent visits to the Etihad, with losses in the EFL Cup and a 4-1 defeat in April. Klopp's side aims to reverse this trend and secure a Premier League victory at the Etihad for the first time since November 2015.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Manchester City supporters are anxiously awaiting updates on Erling Haaland's health, as the Golden Boot winner missed Norway's final Euro 2024 qualifier against Scotland due to an ankle issue reminiscent of the one he sustained in City's recent victory over Bournemouth.Ederson is also facing a similar situation with a foot concern, and Nathan Ake (knock) and Sergio Gomez (ankle) will be evaluated closer to the game. On the sidelines, Kevin De Bruyne (hamstring), Mateo Kovacic (thigh), John Stones (thigh), and Matheus Nunes, declared "clinically unfit" during Portugal duty, will be spectators.
Although Julian Alvarez is a capable replacement for Haaland, the Argentine faces a tight turnaround, and there's growing confidence that Haaland will be fit to lead the line for the champions this weekend.
On the Liverpool side, the medical team faces last-minute decisions on several players, including Ryan Gravenberch (knee), Joe Gomez (knock), Curtis Jones (hamstring), and Ibrahima Konate (hamstring).
Klopp previously mentioned that Gravenberch would definitely return once domestic football resumed. However, Thiago Alcantara (hip), Stefan Bajcetic (calf), and Andrew Robertson (shoulder) won't be available. Klopp needs to assess Luis Diaz, Alisson, Darwin Nunez, and Alexis Mac Allister, with the latter returning from suspension.
While there's no indication that the quartet won't be involved at the Etihad, Klopp might keep Nunez and Diaz in reserve as Jota and Cody Gakpo join forces with Salah. Salah, who notched his 200th goal in English football against Brentford, is just one goal away from reaching the 150 mark in the Premier League.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Manchester City possible starting lineup:Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Silva, Rodri, Foden; Doku, Haaland, Grealish
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Jota, Gakpo
EXPERT PREDICTION
Manchester City 3-2 Liverpool
While Liverpool has a knack for breaking through opposing defenses regardless of the playing field, it's worth noting that no Premier League team has managed to thwart Manchester City at the Etihad in 2023.
With Erling Haaland expected to be given the go-ahead to trouble a Liverpool defense that hasn't secured a clean sheet on the road this season, our bet is on the champions prevailing in this encounter.
