Liverpool and Manchester City Get Set for Another Seismic Clash

Liverpool vs Manchester City. Klopp vs Guardiola. Gegenpressing vs suffocating possession. England’s two premier sides meet again this weekend in a seismic clash that could end up being a title decider. These teams and their managers have set the bar for the Premier League over the past 4 years, and the argument could be made that they are the top two teams in all of Europe. Both are still alive in their bids to complete a historic treble with the league, FA Cup, and Champions League, and their dominance domestically has been nothing short of spectacular.

For Liverpool, just a few months ago they seemed down and out of the title race, but their rejuvenation after the turn of the new year has really been a sight to see, and the addition of Luis Diaz has taken their attack to a whole new level. His pace, electricity, smarts and overall quality has been the difference in many games, including their Champions League matchup with Benfica recently. For a player to come in mid season and look so at home immediately in a well oiled machine like Liverpool is very impressive, especially considering the struggles of other big name signings such as Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish. Of course, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane are still there as well, and Salah in particular has been a nightmare for defenders this season as City found out when he took on four of them and scored his best goal of the season when these teams met in October. The fluidity of Liverpool’s attack will be key to unlocking the City defense on Sunday.

Manchester City will be at home for this match, which could just make them favorites as the Etihad will be rocking. What makes this side so special is their ability to create from anywhere on the pitch, as Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo, and Phil Foden have all stood up strong in key moments this year, and there is no true MVP of their squad. It will be interesting to see who lines up in the false nine row, but of course each member of the front five and the fullbacks will be a threat to score or assist at any moment. Pep Guardiola’s side may be the best they ever have been under him, as it feels their depth, consistency, and quality cannot be matched by any side in the world. However, they have ever so slightly faltered and allowed Liverpool to make this a title race so they will surely want to firmly plant themselves in the driver’s seat.

This rivalry (yes it is a real rivalry) may not be the feistiest, and these teams do not truly hate each other, but it produces the highest quality of football matches between two rivals since the early 2010s El Clasico matches. The managers have now been in their positions long enough so that every player knows their role inside and out, and both teams recruitment has been spot on in recent years. From defense to attack, neither team has a weakness, and they are both fully committed to their playing style which makes for pure entertainment. Both teams will be absolutely going for this one, hopefully it will live up to the billing.