Liverpool and Manchester City, the two heavyweights of English football in recent years, are preparing for an exciting battle on Sunday, in the 28th round of the Premier League, with leadership also at stake.
Only one point separates the two teams in the English standings. So far, Arsenal is at the top with 64 points, followed by Liverpool with 63 and Manchester City is third with 62.
The rivalry and tension is evident, which adds even more ingredients to a very spicy dish.
Liverpool-born defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, one of the iconic players in Jürgen Klopp’s team, had lit the fuse at the start of the week, linking City’s successes to the vast financial resources available to them as they have been controlled since 2008 by a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family.
“It’s tough. We’re up against a machine built to win. That’s the simplest way to describe City and its organization,” Alexander-Arnold told FourFourTwo magazine, alluding to the financial structure of the Citizens’ Emirati owners.
“Even though in recent years they have won more titles than us and have probably been more successful, our trophies will mean more to us and our fans because of the financial situation of both clubs,” he said.
City’s top star, Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, responded.
“I’ve been here for a year now and I’ve won the treble [Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup titles in the 2022-2023 season], it was a nice feeling,” the Nordic striker told Sky Sports on Thursday.
“I don’t think he knows that feeling, which I did last season,” he said, referring directly to Alexander-Arnold.
Both Manchester City and Liverpool come into the match after having European commitments this week.
City qualified for the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday by beating Copenhagen 3-1 in a game in which they rotated to rest several starters, while Liverpool won 5-1 in the Czech Republic at Sparta Prague in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16.
The last quarter of an hour of that match was played by the Egyptian Mohamed Salah, who reappeared after two and a half weeks out, thus aiming to be able to play against City.
TIME AND CHANNEL WHERE TO WATCH LIVERPOOL VS MANCHESTER CITY
Viewing information
- Date: Sunday, March 10 | Time: 10:45 a.m. ET
- Location: Etihad Stadium — Manchester, United Kingdom
- TV: USA | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
- Odds: Liverpool +175; Draw +260; Manchester City +238
Storylines
Liverpool: Though paths may yet converge in the FA Cup, at the moment Sunday is all set to be the final encounter between Klopp and Guardiola, the end of a second act in a rivalry that has defined first German football and then English. Unlike many of the great rivalries in England — Don Revie and Brian Clough, Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson, Rafael Benitez and Jose Mourinho — the defining trait of this tussle for dominance has been the enduring respect between both parties.
That extends to what may be the last meeting before Klopp departs Anfield, the German using his pre-match press conference to insist that it would be an impossible job for whoever succeeds Guardiola at City, far harder than it will be for the next Liverpool boss. Klopp and Guardiola might be too focused on their work to have built a deep friendship but the former did at least hint at conversations between the two during the pandemic, when both lost their mothers. “He called and we had a talk, but I can’t tell you what we said to each other,” said Klopp. “I know things you would love to know!”
Manchester City: Their meeting on Sunday gives Guardiola a chance to address a head-to-head record that notably does not favor a coach who has had some of world football’s most expensively assembled squads to call on. In 29 meetings between these two teams, Guardiola has won 11. Klopp has won 12 with Anfield proving to be a powerful weapon in his arsenal when these two face off. His City side have not won in front of a crowd at the ground since 2003, back when Guardiola was in the twilight of his playing career.
Asked what it is that makes the ground such a challenge for him, Guardiola said: “The crowd of course but especially the quality of the team. It has always been nice and we accept the challenge.”
Prediction
There is precious little to separate these two and the advantages that City have on the pitch have to be set against the power that Anfield can inject Liverpool with. Pick: Liverpool 2, Manchester City 2
What teams are in the Premier League in 2024?
The Premier League consists of: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton, Burnley, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Luton Town, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
