WHO: Liverpool vs Manchester City
What: English Premier League
where: Anfield, Liverpool, UK
when: Sunday at 4:30 PM (16:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll turn on all the build-ups Al Jazeera Sports From 13:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Liverpool host City in a match with huge implications for the title race and the battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
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City trail Arsenal six points clear and nine adrift until kick-off, with the Gunners hosting Sunderland on Saturday.
Liverpool could also be four points outside the top five if Manchester United and Chelsea win on Saturday, which should secure a Champions League spot.
The champions moved into sixth place with 39 points after a 4-1 win over Newcastle United last weekend, but Shitty dropped points against 14th-placed Tottenham Hotspur, holding a two-goal advantage in a 2-2 draw.
Hugo Ekitike and Florian WirtzLiverpool’s two big-money summer signings are starting to deliver returns. Ekitike scored twice in the win against Newcastle to take his tally to 15 for the season, while Wirtz has scored six times in 10 games since ending a 22-game wait for his first Liverpool goal.
of the city Erling HallandMeanwhile, he has been enjoying an unusually lean spell with just two goals in his last 12 games. He never scored for City at Anfield.
Improved performance against slot target city
Liverpool will then be keen to show how much progress they have made 3-0 defeat to City In November, manager Arne Slot said Thursday.
“I mainly remember the game we played at the Etihad and we dominated for large parts of the first half,” Slott told reporters.
“So, this is another moment to see where we are in the development of this team. We know the importance of the result.”
Liverpool have endured a difficult season so far, but have regained some form in recent weeks.
“It’s the last stage of the season, so results are more important,” Slott said.
“We haven’t found consistency in results, but we’ve shown against all (teams) that we can compete.”
Liverpool know there must be ‘life after Virgil’
Slott also explained the club’s decision to recruit four central defenders during the winter transfer window – Jeremy Jacquet, Ifeanyi Ndukwe, Mor Talla Ndiaye and Noah Adekoya – describing it as planning for the afterlife of captain and star centre-back Virgil van Dijk, who turns 35 this year.
“Hopefully, Virgil can stay fit for many years, but this club is not stupid,” Slott said.
“We know that, somewhere in the coming years, there is life after Virgil, but that’s for every position. We’re not just thinking about the short term.”
Slott pulled out the jacket for extra praise. The France Under-21 defender has also been linked with Chelsea, but will move to Anfield in July, where he will finish the season, after Liverpool agreed a big-money deal to sign him from Rennes.
“Such great talent and another example of the model we use at this club,” Slott said.
“Young, very talented players, sometimes at the beginning of their career or sometimes a few years into their career, but always players who are young and can improve us in the short term but certainly in the long term.”
Guardiola emphasizes mental strength ahead of tough journeys
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said mental strength is what separates elite players as his team prepares for the match against Liverpool.
“The biggest stages and the biggest games always require big personalities,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.
“I have said many times, it is not about the skills of the players in the top league. At the top clubs, there are skills. I have never known a player who is not good enough to play at a top club, how do you behave.
“How you play in the final stages of the biggest tournaments defines you as a player. The mindset you have defines great teams.”
Guardiola said that despite their struggles this season, playing Liverpool at Anfield is one of the most difficult games in football.
“They remain an exceptional team,” he said. “A top-class manager and an exceptional team, no doubt.”
City boss hails Haaland as ‘world’s best striker’ but won’t confirm Liverpool start
Guardiola insisted the City star will start Sunday’s crucial clash despite refusing to confirm whether Haaland is the “best striker in the world”.
“I don’t know until tomorrow. But that’s all I’m saying is Erling. Erling is the best striker in the world,” Guardiola told reporters.
The 55-year-old doubled down on his comments about the “hurt” he felt for victims of conflicts in Palestine, Ukraine and Sudan after Jewish community leaders told him to “focus on football”.
“To be honest, I didn’t say anything special. I think, I’m a manager so why not express how I feel? So I don’t agree, but I respect everyone’s opinion,” he said.
“What I basically said is how many conflicts are there right now around the world or around the world. How many? A lot, right? I condemn all of them. All of them.”
head-to-head
The two clubs have met 219 times, with Liverpool winning 110 of them, City winning 61 and drawing 58.
City comfortably won their home league game against Liverpool this season, while their only win over Liverpool since 2003 came in an empty stadium in 2021 during the Covid restrictions.
Liverpool team news
Slott confirmed that defender Jeremy Frimpong will miss the game, but Joe Gomez could return to the squad to bolster the defensive line.
Dominik Szoboszlai is expected to continue to recruit for Frimpong at right-back.
Alexander Isak, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are all sidelined with long-term injuries.
Estimated Lineup:
Ellison (GK); Szoths, Conate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenburch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ektik
City Union News
City could be without Bernardo Silva, who has a back problem, so Nico O’Reilly could move into midfield to replace him.
Ruben Dias is back from injury but lacks full-match fitness and sharpness, so Abdukodir Khusanov is likely to play in the center of defense alongside new signing Marc Guehi.
Estimated Lineup:
Donnarumma (GK); Nunes, Khusanov, Guhehi, Ait-Nouri; Rhodri, O’Reilly; Semenyo, Foden, Cherki; Holland