Liverpool Set to Unleash Nearly Unchanged Squad Against Man City in Blockbuster Showdown
Liverpool encounter their most challenging away fixture of the season so far as they travel to Manchester City for Sunday's Premier League clash.
The Merseyside club has regained confidence in their recent outings, securing victories against Aston Villa and Real Madrid at home to bounce back from six losses in their previous seven encounters. Back-to-back Anfield wins have lifted spirits, though the Etihad Stadium has been a difficult venue for Liverpool throughout the last ten years.
Arne Slot's team managed to triumph there last campaign, marking their first Premier League away win against City in nearly ten years. The Dutch manager hopes for another similar result this weekend as they aim to stay competitive with table-toppers Arsenal.
Here's how the defending champions might set up for this pivotal match.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup vs. Man City (4-2-3-1)
GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili—The Georgian shot-stopper has been an exceptionally capable replacement during Alisson's injury layoff, delivering crucial saves in victories over Villa and Madrid. Liverpool can feel secure despite their outstanding Brazilian's unavailability.
RB: Conor Bradley—Bradley successfully contained Kylian Mbappé against Madrid previously and neutralized Vinícius Júnior in midweek. The attacking full-back faces another stern challenge on Sunday when he comes up against the dangerous Jérémy Doku.
CB: Ibrahima Konaté—Konaté appeared composed against potential future club Madrid while dealing with fellow Frenchman Mbappé, but no challenge compares to facing the prolific Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker has netted 27 times for club and country this campaign.
CB: Virgil van Dijk—Van Dijk will similarly struggle with Haaland's threat. Coordination between Liverpool's captain and his defensive partner remains vital to contain the City striker, who has failed to score just twice this season.
LB: Andy Robertson—The Scottish defender has secured another starting opportunity after impressing while replacing underperforming summer signing Milos Kerkez. He's provided significant improvement over his new Hungarian rival.
DM: Ryan Gravenberch—Gravenberch, who found the net last weekend, has been instrumental in Liverpool's recent revival since recovering from injury. His ball progression skills, defensive awareness, and ability to resist pressure make him indispensable in midfield.
DM: Alexis Mac Allister—The World Cup champion hasn't reached his peak form this season, but his match-deciding strike against Madrid followed an outstanding performance reminiscent of last campaign's displays.
RW: Mohamed Salah—Though still below his scintillating peak, Liverpool's overall improvement should reduce the burden on Salah. He's recorded 21 goal involvements across 23 previous meetings with City.
AM: Dominik Szoboszlai—The automatic selection for Liverpool's starting eleven currently is undoubtedly Szoboszlai. The energetic and adaptable midfielder is displaying excellent form in both attacking and defensive phases and will be essential against City.
LW: Cody Gakpo—Florian Wirtz delivered his finest Liverpool performance from the left flank in midweek, but Gakpo might return to the starting lineup at City. Only Szoboszlai covered more distance than Wirtz against Madrid, and the German could prove more valuable coming off the bench.
ST: Hugo Ekitiké—Alexander Isak is anticipated to rejoin the matchday roster at the Etihad, but Ekitiké will begin the encounter. The French forward continues delivering energetic performances, despite goals being harder to come by recently.
