Two out of three ain't bad for Man City
Another massive match in a key week for Manchester City's season takes place at a packed Anfield on Sunday afternoon, with Liverpool the third and final titanic opposition in a seven-day span. The hosts came through what looked on paper a tricky away tie in the Champions League versus Porto, but the Reds blew them away by a large margin. Meanwhile, the visitors had the more presentable chances against PSG, but a Leo Messi inspired performance saw them return to England with a 2-0 loss. In the Premier League, their win over previously unbeaten Chelsea last weekend demonstrated that Pep Guardiola can still get the better of a big rival, and whilst Jürgen Klopp has been pretty successful in his own right against the City head coach, he might be waiting a little while longer for that 10th victory. Read our preview here:
No need to be so Curt
One of the few legitimate criticisms levelled at the Reds in their unbeaten campaign to date has been the lack of goals from the midfield trio, but Curtis Jones, a current starter in the absences of Harvey Elliott (long-term) and Thiago (potentially the same) has gone some way to addressing that perceived weakness in the last week in quite emphatic style in the six-goal thriller against Brentford. Indeed, it's a testament to the head coach's faith in him that he's likely to remain in the starting lineup for such a big occasion, even with the more experienced Naby Keita waiting in the wings. Elsewhere, the return to goalscoring form of Sadio Mané reduces the burden somewhat on the ever potent Mo Salah, and the aerial ability at the far post of Diogo Jota will be something City need to be extremely watchful of, given the crossing abilities of both skipper Jordan Henderson and James Milner, with the latter probably taking his place at right-back for a second match in a row. The Bees' directness caused 'Pool plenty of headaches defensively, and whilst in many ways it's diametrically the opposite of Guardiola's philosophy, the coaching staff will have been watching very closely for any patterns they could repeat in front of the Kop.
Jesus, please us
As the furore over not signing an out and out striker wanes slightly with the passage of time, fans of the Eastlands outfit look to members of the existing squad to step up, regardless of the false nine role that's usually in operation. Gabriel Jesus has never had the smoothest of rides at the Etihad, with a lingering feeling that he's never quite hit the heights of his one-time potential. Even so, he remains an important member of the roster, and has been excelling in the right half-space thus far in 2021/2022. His movement off the ball will largely serve to occupy Virgil van Dijk's attentions, especially with playmaker Kevin De Bruyne almost certain to be deployed through the middle. Pace is a potential shortcoming, and opportunities to get in behind the hosts' back four, even with recent fragilities, are set to be at a premium. Elsewhere, John Stones should make the bench, though the form of teammates Rúben Dias and Aymeric Laporte could keep him there for the foreseeable future.
Pep talk, Mk. III
As ever in recent years, there's little to separate the two sides on paper. Neither play a conventional striker, both are back to full strength in the heart of their defences, and now have the options to rotate the midfield at will. A moment of magic could be the divider, and given how well City stood up to and held off Chelsea, bet365's odds of 2.36 for an away in look appealing.
