The win over Real Madrid on Wednesday night showed that Liverpool are probably the best team in Europe this season. Arne Slot’s team carried out a professional dismantling of the reigning European champions and showed they are one of the favourites to win the Champions League. However, Liverpool have a massive domestic job to do this weekend when they host Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday in a game that could have massive consequences for the rest of the 2024/25 league campaign.
Manchester City’s 3-3 draw against Feyenoord on Tuesday night ended their run of five defeats on the trot. However, the result provided more questions than it answered as Pep Guardiola’s side threw away a three-goal lead to only earn a point at the Etihad against not one of the top teams in Europe.
This is probably the worst time for the reigning champions to visit Anfield. Liverpool are looking imperious while Manchester City are looking more than vulnerable. The Reds have an eight-point lead at the top of the league table and Manchester City cannot afford to lose on Sunday. A win for Liverpool and the reigning champions could be out of the title race even before the Christmas trees come up.
Liverpool have a real chance to deliver a knockout blow on Manchester City this early in the season and pile on the misery on Guardiola and his men. It’d be tempting not to change anything about the team that beat Real Madrid on Wednesday night but Slot has options to do something different if he wants to.
A midfield tweak to take advantage of Manchester City’s issues in the middle of the park
Manchester City are badly missing Rodri in the middle of the park. The Spaniard will miss the rest of the season due to a serious knee injury. Mateo Kovacic’s injury has further exacerbated their problems and they have left Guardiola searching for answers.
The Premier League champions are looking a shadow of their former selves. A few players in their team are starting to show their years and their midfield issues have completely exposed their defence. The Liverpool attackers are licking their leaps but it is in midfield where Liverpool have the chance to completely overpower them.
Can you name the team Liverpool sold these players to?
Curtis Jones has come to the fore this season and has been compared with Steven Gerrard. However, Slot could wring in the changes on Sunday and play Dominik Szoboszlai in the attacking midfield role. The Hungarian is a dynamic creative force and the lack of a proper defensive midfielder in the Manchester City team could give him the license to really get at their defence. Jones has done little to get dropped but Liverpool have a big chance to exploit an obvious flaw in Guardiola’s team. Szoboszlai could be more suited than Jones to take advantage of the issues Manchester City are facing in the middle of the park.
The rest of the team picks itself and Slot will likely avoid tinkering too much with a team that just wiped the floor with Real Madrid. However, Szoboszlai for Jones could be one change that would further tilt the balance towards the home team on Sunday.
