A Mersey Paradise? Looking Ahead to Liverpool v Man City

I have to say I am feeling quite relaxed about Manchester City’s impending visit to Anfield.

It’s the kind of relaxation which comes from a mixture of believing we haven’t played as well as we could in recent games against Jurgen Klopp’s side and believing after failing to win in the last 15 years we are due a victory. Of course in making that assessment I am buoyed in the knowledge our Manchester City team is not only the best assembled squad in world football, but crucially according to the statistics seems to be delivering the best results on the pitch.

This is not the narrative most of the main stream media would have you believe from the column inches written in preparation of the game and the tone of the questions directed at Pep Guardiola during his press conference earlier today. The journalists baited Guardiola by asking if Klopp had found him out.

As though Guardiola had achieved success through some intricate secret recipe which only he knows, and somehow Liverpool had sneaked a look and all the secrets were rumbled. This is clearly nonsense, for we can all see how Guardiola has fashioned each of his teams – Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City – in a certain style. His methods and strategy are transparent – publicly shared with a succession of journalists. Only his match to match tactics remain closely guarded as you would expect from a man focused on winning.

The second annoying part of the media fixation is the implication Liverpool have somehow earned the right to be treated as our genuine contenders. This is the Liverpool team who are currently enjoying their best ever start to a Premier League season by being 2nd.

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Liverpool proved themselves as a very capable Cup side who can concentrate and focus by preparing on one game. The thing is playing us is their cup final – the game they can get themselves psyched up for and which they may well win. But of course league titles are won over 38 games. And as we all know Liverpool under Klopp have developed a penchant for losing real Cup Finals.

Before this season even started I suggested the top clubs were closer to each other in terms of quality than they had been for some time following their summer transfer window. I predicted then that I believed the top 6 would take points off each other throughout the season ensuring the League Title would be achieved by the results gained against lower placed teams.So far after the first rash of games the prediction seems to be bearing out.

The media have so far maintained the view that Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are some kind of kryptonite to Manchester City. This isn’t the case. Fundamentally the Liverpool approach is not founded on any innovative or focused tactical genius. It’s mainly about pressing high and fast and hitting a team on the break as the possession is turned over. Our careful and studious passing game is disrupted by the pressing, but as we saw at the Etihad in the League last season against Liverpool we can disrupt their game too. We can evade the high pressing and have the passing ability to cause them problems.

Last seasons losses against Liverpool were characterised by our team making a series of mistakes and gifting them goals. Despite that at Anfield in the league we nearly overcame the deficit by staying committed to the cause to the last moment.

This weekends game against Liverpool will be another interesting and enjoyable affair. Its a shame City will be without Kevin de Bruyne for a few more weeks as he has the quality to unlock the Liverpool defence. Instead City will most likely rely upon a midfield of Fernandinho, David Silva and Bernardo. I hope the attacking three will comprise Sterling, Aguero and Sane as I believe we are at our most mobile and agile with that combination.

It’s a given Ederson will start in goal but the defensive unit is difficult to predict. I suspect Guardiola will seek to start Otamendi and Laporte as centre backs – that combination offers the strongest rigidity and combination to our play.

Walker will play as right back but the injuries to Delph and Mendy in recent weeks means there is some doubt as to how we will line up at left back. Delph was confirmed as absent by Guardiola at the press conference today and he remained elusive as to whether Mendy was fit enough to return. I hope Mendy will be back but should he not have recovered in time then Zinchenko will likely start.

I can see City conceding an early goal as they struggle to impose their passing play against Liverpool, but I believe City will take control of the game – especially as Liverpool’s press tires in the second half. If City ensure they do not make the mistakes they have made in recent encounters then they have the quality to dominate this game and return with the 15 year hoodoo broken and 3 points. Whilst City’s title credentials will not be undone should they lose at Anfield – any capitulation from Klopp’s team may well return the media to doubters.

I believe City will win by 2 clear goals at least. I consider the soft underbelly of Liverpool could be easily exposed here and suspect they will lose their composure if they find themselves a couple of goals behind. Of course any prediction can be easily undone by unusual refereeing and we have Martin Atkinson fulfilling the duties at this match. He is no friend to Manchester City and I hope he has no bearing on the game.

Predicted Man City XI

Goalkeeper: Ederson

Defenders: Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Mendy

Midfielders: Fernandinho, Silva, Bernardo

Attackers: Sterling, Aguero, Sane