Enda McElhinney’s selections for Sunday’s huge clash at Anfield include a win for the hosts with a familiar face on the scoresheet.
The Premier League champions of the last seven seasons meet at Anfield on Sunday as Liverpool seek to inflict what could already be a near-fatal wound on Manchester City’s quest for a five top-flight titles in a row.
The Anfield outfit denied City in the Covid-impacted 2019/20 season and are the only side to finish above Pep Guardiola’s superb machine since 2016/17.
Arne Slot has made a majestic start on Merseyside since he arrived in the summer and a win on Sunday would see his Reds move a whopping 11 points clear of the champions.
Best Bets
Liverpool to win
11/10
Mohamed Salah first goalscorer
6/5
Bet Builder – Andy Robertson to be booked, Phil Foden & Cody Gakpo 1+ shots on target and Under 3.5 goals @ 16/1
Rampant Reds ready to march on
Liverpool take some terrific form into this heavyweight showdown with four-in-a-row Premier League champions Manchester City.
The Reds have been as good as faultless under Slot this season, with the exception of 1-0 loss against Nottingham Forest at Anfield in September.
Apart from that, it is 10 wins and a draw for Liverpool in the Premier League and, following the midweek dismissal of reigning European champions Real Madrid, it’s 5 wins in as many matches in the Champions League to boot.
City, meanwhile, are on a six-game winless streak with five defeats. Tottenham ripped them apart last weekend, then they somehow allowed Feyenoord to claim a point at the Etihad in midweek despite leading 3-0 with 15 minutes left.
Guardiola has won only once in nine trips to Anfield, a 4-1 win behind closed doors during lockdown in February 2021. He has suffered five defeats and drawn three times there and further Merseyside misery appears to be in store.
Salah up for the title fight
Mohamed Salah’s post-game interview after his second-half double won the game at Southampton last week sparked plenty of debate.
The Egyptian could be in his final season as a Liverpool player, it seems, but the one thing he underpinned was an eagerness to win his second Premier League title before departing – if that is indeed to be the case.
Salah’s relationship with the Anfield crowd is enduring and, when they finally ended their title famine in 2020, it was behind closed doors. How the Reds talisman would love to celebrate a league title in front of his adoring public.
His record in this most challenging of fixtures stands up well to scrutiny. He has scored seven Premier League goals in 15 appearances against City, improving to five in seven at Anfield including a stunning solo effort in a 2-2 draw in October 2021.
Salah already has 14 goals for club and country this season and with City’s backline malfunctioning, no Liverpool player will relish Sunday’s challenge more.
Anfield goal-fest unlikely
A three-leg bet-builder is advised to finish.
The last two Anfield meetings between these sides have yielded a total of three goals and it would be folly to anticipate a rush of goals on this occasion.
City are badly out of form but they know this game could all but end their hopes of five Premier League titles in a row. Minds should be focused and these teams have often been well matched in the past.
Liverpool are not as gung-ho under Slot as they were in Jurgen Klopp’s time. They have shut out Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa and Real Madrid in their last three Anfield games and play in a more controlled manner these days.
Andy Robertson could be a prime candidate for a booking. The Scot has given away penalties in successive games and will be under threat from the likes of Phil Foden on Sunday.
England playmaker Foden has three goals and two assists in his last six Premier League games against Liverpool and should at least fire a shot on target.
Cody Gakpo got Liverpool’s second against Real Madrid, making it five in six for the Dutch ace since the end of October for his club. The Dutch ace only came on in the second half in midweek, but in his current form he may start on Sunday and could also test City’s goalkeeper.
