Key events
For Liverpool: Conor Bradley had his Mbappe moment but also got injured so a timely return for Trent Alexander-Arnold. Joe Gomez replaces Ibrahima Konate and Dominik Szoboszlai replaces Curtis Jones in midfield.
For City: Ederson dropped, with Scott Carson on the bench too? Kyle Walker survives but Joso Gvardiol is also out. Ruben Dias is back. De Bruyne remains on the bench. Jack Grealish will also be riding pine.
The teams are here:
Liverpool: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah, Nunez, Gakpo. Subs: Jaros, Davies, Endo, Nunez, Jones, Elliott, Quansah, Morton, Nyoni.
Manchester City XI: Ortega, Walker, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Lewis, Gundogan, Nunes, Silva, Foden, Haaland. Subs: Ederson, Carson, Grealish, Doku, De Bruyne, Gvardiol, Savinho, O’Reilly, McAtee
“I don’t sleep as good as when I won every game. I’m the same person as four Premier Leagues in a row and in that situation, I have the same doubts. Now I want to be closer to the players, because I know they are suffering, I know they are thinking: ‘Oh God, how we were not able to win that game against Feyenoord?’ Or: ‘Why don’t we score when we had the chance to score against Spurs?’ They are suffering. What can I do, blame them? Absolutely not.”
Plenty of previews for this game.
Early team news
Liverpool
Subs from Jaros, Davies, Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Endo, Elliott, Morton, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Nyoni
Doubtful Bradley (hamstring)
Injured Konaté (knee, unknown), Alisson (hamstring, 7 Dec), Jota (ribs, 7 Dec), Chiesa (muscle, 7 Dec), Tsimikas (ankle, unknown)
Suspended None
Form WWDWWW Leading scorer Salah 10
Manchester City
Subs from Carson, Ortega, Wilson-Ebrand, McAtee, Perrone, Savinho, O’Reilly, Gündogan, Simpson-Pusey, Nunes, Aké
Doubtful Stones (unknown), Doku (hamstring)
Injured Bobb (leg, 1 Jan), Rodri (knee, 1 Jun), Kovacic (unknown, 21 Dec)
Suspended None
Form WWWLLL Leading scorer Haaland 12
Preamble
OK, this is massive. Certain early-season matches – and this is still pretty early in the season – carry too much hype, but with Manchester City wobbling – and wibbling – and Liverpool flying, this is a huge match. Could the gap between the two be 11 whole points? That would be shades of 2019-20, when Liverpool stormed to the Premier League. All eyes on Pep Guardiola, who took head-scratching too far the other night, and whose media appearances since Tuesday’s 3-3 draw with Feyenoord have held the look of a haunted man. Arne Slot has taken on the chilled-out entertainer role, cracking gags about Mo Salah when so many others are catastrophising, and his team look capable of several gears. City meanwhile, seem incapable of even grinding games out. They can’t, though, afford to lose this, and the great teams will always find a way. Now is the time for them to be stand up and be counted.
Kick-off is at 4pm UK time. Join me.
