Struggling with form and injuries, Liverpool welcomes Manchester City at Anfield in not relatable circumstances in a huge clash that will give an early decider of their faith this season.
The Reds were able to overcome a 3-2 defeat against Arsenal to demolish Rangers 7-1 in the Champions League. City played out a 0-0 draw with Copenhagen in the competition midweek but their 4-0 ousted of Southampton in the Premier League extended a 13-point gap with the opposition at Anfield.
LIV vs MCI Match Details
Date: Saturday, 16 October 2022
Time: 16:30 (BST) / 21:00 (IST)
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
LIV vs MCI Match Preview
Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool could not have imagined the preceding season of their domestic cup double success and getting into the Champions League final will tumble out of hands rapidly. It is hard to figure out that the same team almost gained an unpreceded quadruple last season and only lost the Premier title to Manchester City by a point. The Reds have suffered the worst start to a Premier League season in their history with the 3-2 loss to Arsenal last weekend keeping them an unaccustomed 11th place on the league chart with only two wins. Injuries have played a huge factor in their downfall with the defense also not performing at the utmost standard. The side which use to keep clean sheets for fun have leaked goals in six of the eight games in the league so far. It is a major issue considering City will bring a destructible goal machine named Erling Haaland to Anfield having rested in midweek. With shaky Joe Gomez and out-of-form Virgil Van Dijk marshaling the back four for this one due to injuries, fans are less optimistic about their side’s formula to keep the Norwegian quiet and become the only second team in all competition to not have him get on the scoresheet. This fixture would have been a blockbuster fixture in any other season regarding the title fight these two have pushed each other for. It is still full of stakes but the Red’s drifting out of form with nowhere near the top four places let alone a title fight has dampened a lot of spirits. However, Liverpool will take a lot of confidence from their emphatic win in the clash against Rangers in midweek coming from a goal down to score seven with Mohamed Salah returning to scoring in classy style by registering a hat-trick in only five minutes, the fastest in the Champions League. Roberto Firmino also scored a brace in the win and has been the inspiration of the little positivity pursued by the side this season with his 12 goals contribution in 11 games in all competitions. They are also taking their excellent home record into context having not lost a game at Anfield in last 27 matches.
Manchester City will only wish that their perfectly running machine so far don’t lose its wheel at the Merseyside ground in an atmosphere that is bound to be electrifying even though the home team are not at their best this season. Pep Guardiola’s men have little to feature with a fascinating goal-scorer in their ranks but might be a little agitated about losing their scoring streak record in the midweek 0-0 draw against Copenhagen in the Champions League. City will argue that VAR played a factor in it with a lot of decisions going against them in the game but it didn’t matter at the end as a place in the last 16 was sealed. They have at least got Erling Haaland fresh and raring to go having not played a minute in Denmark. In some other situation, City would have looked to take points out of Liverpool to strain them in the title charge instead they are in a battle with Arsenal trailing them by a point in the second place. They have an enormous point gap from the Reds in the league and possibly will not be feeling their heat for the seventh Premier League honor Pep Guardiola’s men are chasing this season. Despite drawing against Newcastle and Aston Villa in away fixture which could send some messages to the home side, City have gone 22-games unbeaten away in the Premier League. The factor of Anfield has not come into aid for Liverpool in this fixture though as their winless in five meetings with the 2-2 draw at this ground one of the most exciting games played last season. The Sky Blue shirts have netted 33 goals this season, most in the league, the majority coming in courtesy of Erling Haaland and with the hosts struggling massively in defense the visitors are hopeful of reigniting their scoring streak. The champion’s defensive record has also been league best with only nine goals conceded two less than the Reds. City feel they have an easier run in of fixtures after this game till the World Cup with none of the top six to compete with to keep up the pressure on the league leaders Arsenal while Liverpool have to regather themselves amidst this crisis with West Ham and Tottenham to face in that period and three points the mere gap between them and 17th place Southampton. It will certainly not look pretty for them if City romp at Anfield.
Recent Form (all competitions)
LIV: WLWDW
MCI: DWWWW
Recent Form (league)
LIV: LDDWW
MCI: WWWDW
LIV vs MCI Team News
Liverpool faces a shortage in central defense ahead of their crucial clash with Manchester City. Ibrahima Konate is a doubt for the game with a muscle problem missing training on Friday. He needs to go further assessment on his injury which is understood to be a minor one. The Frenchman is unlikely to be risked in the game having only returned to action after the previous injury layoff for two months. Another injury blow has been Joel Matip who picked up a calf injury in the defeat against Arsenal keeping him out until November. Luis Diaz was also forced off in the first half against Arsenal last weekend due to a knee problem with him not returning until after the World Cup. Having not required surgery, the Colombian will miss approximately six to eight weeks. Trent Alexander-Arnold too suffered an ankle injury at the Emirates forcing him to be sidelined for at least two weeks. Naby Keita and Arthur Melo remain out through muscle problems with Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain only just back in training.
Manchester City have no fresh injury concerns in the team with John Stones, Kalvin Philipps and Kyle Walker the confirmed absentees. Walker and Philipps went through surgery on their respective injuries but it is still unknown whether they will make it before the World Cup. On the other hand, Stones is close to a return having missed club action this month picking up a hamstring injury in the international break. Manager Pep Guardiola confirmed that Erling Haaland would be fit to face Liverpool this weekend, after the Norwegian was an unused substitute in midweek. He has already scored against Liverpool in the Champions League and will look to score his 16th league goal of the season already having find the back of the net in eight of the nine games so far.
LIV vs MCI Predicted Lineups
LIV: Alisson; James Milner, Joe Gomez, Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara; Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Darwin Nunez
MCI: Ederson; Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake; De Bruyne, Rodri, Bernardo Silva; Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish
LIV vs MCI Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Ederson (6.5)
DEF: Cancelo (8), Van Dijk (8.5), Akanji (8.5), Dias (7.5)
MID: De Bruyne (9), Thiago (7.5), B Silva (8)
FW: Salah (9), Haaland (9), Firmino (9)
Vice-captain: Kevin de Bruyne
Captain: Erling Haaland
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