Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola are making an attempt to chase down Arsenal at the head of the Premier League table
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described assembly Liverpool in his 1,000th game as a manager as “the procedure forward for the universe” after their shared domination of English soccer currently.
The previous eight Premier League titles hang long previous to the two superpowers, with City claiming the crown six times in that duration, including a historic sequence of four in a row.
City and Liverpool meet at Etihad Stadium on Sunday (sixteen:30 GMT) with the likelihood that their Premier League future this season shall be heavily fashioned by the final consequence.
To add a twist to the epic, these two long-time Premier League pacesetters now invent section of a chasing pack.
Arsenal hang had their noses pressed in opposition to the window within the face of City and Liverpool’s superiority currently nonetheless, for now no longer lower than, the Gunners are the hunted rather then the hunters.
Mikel Arteta’s league leaders would hang been 9 components decided of Guardiola’s facet and 10 sooner than Liverpool had they no longer dropped two behind components at Sunderland on Saturday – Brian Brobbey’s stoppage-time equaliser giving the Murky Cats a 2-2 blueprint.
Title margins in latest seasons hang been so beautiful that had Arsenal won, the shedding crew on Sunday – if there may maybe be one – would perchance perchance hang been left to replica that the bustle was once initiating to safe away from them, even after biggest eleven video games.
Now, the door is ajar.
Live Man City & Liverpool hang new hope?
Arsenal’s advantage was once initiating to undercover agent extremely predominant except the 94th minute at Sunderland, because something else more than a ten-point lead within the Premier League has biggest been lost Three times.
It would perchance perchance hang been too early to push apart groups of the usual of Manchester City and Liverpool, in particular as both are exhibiting indicators of returning to their ambitious finest after stumbles earlier this season.
Now, if something else, Arsenal’s behind concession at the Stadium of Mild has upped the ante even extra earlier than this latest assembly between City and Liverpool.
In Liverpool, Guardiola has the one opponent he has came all over it keen to master – first under Jurgen Klopp and then Arne Slot, whose title winners did the double over him closing season.
Guardiola has managed City in 18 Premier League video games in opposition to Liverpool, winning biggest five, drawing seven and shedding six. In all competitions he has conducted 24, won six, drawn eight and lost 10.
The used Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss is aware of what’s riding on the latest difference, with Arsenal’s excellence adding to the tension.
Guardiola mirrored on the chase that City face, announcing: “Always you search recordsdata from that you would perchance also be higher and so that they’ll tumble components. All we can construct is gain our video games and safe nearer.”
Dominik Szoboszlai has been excellent as Liverpool’s invent has picked up with wins in opposition to Aston Villa and Accurate Madrid
Guardiola knew Arsenal hang been constructing a crew righteous of chasing a championship. He’s waiting to stare whether they hang the stamina to take up their swiftly begin.
“The closing two or three years, after the technique to rebuild the club and the crew, Arsenal are there. It’s excellent what they are doing for two or three seasons,” Guardiola acknowledged.
“Nevertheless it is early November. No person wins the title in early November. You may perchance lose it – nonetheless no person wins it.
“I know how speedy things change. One week within the past it was once Liverpool ‘catastrophe, catastrophe’ and now they gain two and it be ‘are they again to their finest?’
“I’m positive the managers purchase somewhat bit more perspective of the recount.
“Always in a season there are united states of americaand down.”
Liverpool head coach Slot is equally overjoyed there would perchance even be twists and turns within the title bustle, nonetheless the significance of this game cannot be escaped or underestimated.
Slot acknowledged: “For the time being, it be no longer about having a undercover agent at the league table. It’s beautiful making an attempt to gain as many video games as you would and provides yourself the biggest predicament you would.
“Nevertheless positively two very factual groups are going to play in opposition to every other and what the long bustle will bring, we can gape.
“Our biggest focus is ourselves. We should safe constant impart, safe players match and then gape where it leads to.
“City is a game on its accept as true with. Playing away from home in opposition to them is one amongst essentially the most keen challenges we hang all around the season. These are the video games all people looks to be like forward to.”
Slot’s return to his title-winning midfield of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai has given Liverpool a more familiar, winning undercover agent of their previous two video games in opposition to Aston Villa and Accurate Madrid, with Hungarian Szoboszlai a key desire.
“Dominik has been excellent all around the season,” acknowledged Slot, “nonetheless the closing two video games introduced some distance more out of the crew and him. I surely devour his work without the ball, nonetheless in these video games it was once doubtlessly even above his accept as true with high requirements.”
If Liverpool can gain the midfield fight at Etihad Stadium, they’ll deem they are able to flourish – nonetheless an bettering Manchester City will certainly feel equally confident.
The stage is role for the latest colossal tussle.
Can Haaland eventually dominate Van Dijk?
Erling Haaland scored his twenty seventh fair of the season for club and country in City’s four-1 gain in opposition to his used club Borussia Dortmund within the Champions League on Wednesday.
It has been a noteworthy bustle of invent, even by the components of arguably essentially the most lethal striker in world soccer.
The irresistible force meets the immovable object when Haaland comes up in opposition to Virgil van Dijk on Sunday. Right here’s the inside of most duel that can run a splendid distance to deciding the procedure forward for the components.
Norwegian Haaland shall be particular to eventually end his uncharacteristically detached anecdote in opposition to Liverpool’s Dutch captain.
Since becoming a member of City in July 2022, Haaland has started five video games in opposition to Van Dijk and is accumulated seeking his first gain, with three defeats and two draws. The Norwegian’s biggest victory in opposition to Liverpool came within the League Cup fourth round in December 2022, when he scored in a three-2 triumph, nonetheless Van Dijk did no longer play.
Frail Liverpool and England defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Sport: “Whenever you happen to be taught about key areas where the game shall be won and lost, from Liverpool’s point of deem it shall be stopping Haaland, nonetheless the predominant to that can all advance from the midfield keep, and stopping the balls through to him.
“This is in a position to also be about whether Liverpool’s midfield can press City as laborious as they did Aston Villa and Accurate Madrid.”
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has been in unstoppable invent this season nonetheless has but to dominate Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.
Warnock added: “Considerable of any fight between Van Dijk and Haaland will depend on the carrier Haaland gets, and then it shall be between Van Dijk and [Ibrahima] Konate to prevent him. It’s up to Haaland who his predominant opponent shall be, anyway. If he performs on Konate then there may maybe be nothing Van Dijk can construct, and vice versa.
“The predominant recount Liverpool must construct is attempt to prevent the passes at source and prevent the balls being conducted into him. This is in a position to also be down to Liverpool’s midfielders to prevent City’s ingenious players picking their heads up, devour Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki hang been doing in opposition to Bournemouth closing weekend, and playing those passes.”
Frail England striker Chris Sutton believes inside of most satisfaction will moreover gas the difference between Haaland and Van Dijk.
“This is in a position to also be charming,” says Sutton. “Van Dijk will hang that more or less satisfaction where he’ll be particular to safe the higher of Haaland, because Liverpool’s backline has advance in for replace criticism.
“For positive, Liverpool are righteous of keeping Haaland restful – they beautiful did the an connected to a Accurate Madrid frontline including Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior – nonetheless I’d purchase Haaland over any of their attackers for the time being, so this is the final test for Van Dijk.”