It is a fixture pitting the two best teams in the league against each other and I would be incredibly surprised if this didn’t deliver on all fronts. So strap yourselves and enjoy it – it’s bound to be stupendous! Man City take on Liverpool.
I’m not sure there are too many other games in the league these days which are more deserving of the title: ‘Feature’. This game has been touted as the ‘Premier League Final’ and it is difficult to argue against that submission.
It is a fixture pitting the two best teams in the league against each other and I would be incredibly surprised if this didn’t deliver on all fronts. So strap yourselves and enjoy it – it’s bound to be stupendous!
To Win (90 mins)
Manchester City 1/1 | Draw 26/10 | Liverpool 5/2
Manchester City
Manchester City ensured they returned to the top of the Premier League with a comfortable win over a haphazard Burnley side. City hadn’t been anywhere but at the summit since early December – so the implied pressure that would have inevitably come (even if it was just a question of their mentality) with Liverpool leapfrogging them was dealt with impressively.
I’m not sure if this is fair to say, but I would imagine that for Pep Guardiola, the fans, and the management at City – the Champions League would truly be their gold. And so, this fixture becomes even more pertinent. After this encounter, City have as smooth a run as it gets, and whilst this is the toughest league in the season for a reason…they have the squad and manager to extract maximum points from their remaining games.
In a game such as this, it won’t just be the attacking ability of City that sees them through the test, but their defensive prowess as well. We all know they are a team who love holding possession and dictating the pace and direction of the game, but in Liverpool they come up against a side who won’t sit off and accept their ‘fate’ at the Etihad.
City have conceded four goals from their last five games in the league, a statistic that won’t bother them too much – but could be cause for concern when you consider the teams who have managed to score those goals. Tottenham showed little regard for City and ended up coming away 3-2 winners in February. Pressure was applied in City’s defensive third and Spurs earned their reward.
I suspect Liverpool will want to impose themselves on the game early and make this a dog fight as quickly as possible. They will not want to play a silky brand of football, sitting off City and seeing what brilliance they can create.
Nevertheless, there is no denying that this week will go a long way in defining City’s season, I wonder what the pressure inherently associated with that sentence will produce…
Liverpool
Liverpool was able to get passed a struggling Watford side to complete an impressive, and short lived, experience at the top of the Premier League table. It is truly a remarkable achievement to think that we have a title race at all, the Reds were 14 points behind City in mid-January! The victory against Watford was their 10th straight league win and there is just enough belief bubbling under at Anfield.
I must however be honest and say that Liverpool was not at their level best against Watford. Whether they took the fixture for granted a little and were already looking ahead at their Champions League engagement – well that cannot be completely underestimated.
Liverpool have already lifted the Carabao Cup and are currently still in contention to complete a quadruple! Whilst most of modern civilization hopes this simply remains a ‘contention’ – the truth is they have had an incredible season already.
Against City on Sunday, I don’t think the circumstances of the game suit them. City don’t necessarily need to go out and chase the game, a draw could be good enough for them (at least mathematically speaking). So, City can afford to be patient and play their game at home.
Liverpool, on the other hand, might be coaxed into chasing the game and liberally taking the game to their unaccommodating hosts. Furthermore, I think Liverpool enjoy teams having a go against them – it opens the game up, stretches play, and well frankly plays right into their hands.
Another point is Mo Salah. Personally, I don’t think the Egyptian should have been included against Watford after his experience for his country…but Tuesday night and certainly on Sunday in Manchester, he will have a platform to respond and if he is back to his best, he could be the difference.
The lackluster and beleaguered figure we saw on Saturday just wasn’t what we know and enjoy about the talent that is Mo Salah.
Prediction: Manchester City + BTTS (26/10)
City win this and go on to win the league in my opinion. I think everything about this game suits Guardiola’s side. There is no pressure to play any other way on Sunday, and I think the more the game goes on the more Liverpool might feel the onus of making something happen.
The impatience, which I think is inevitable, will ultimately be their undoing.
