Etihad Stadium hosts one of the most anticipated matches of the season. Manchester City face Liverpool this Sunday in the 26th match of the Premier League in a match that can shake up the standings and chart the course of the final run of the tournament.
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Manchester City seeks a turnaround under pressure
Pep Guardiola's team is having a season short of expectations. Knocked out of the Champions League playoffs by Real Madrid, City is now squarely set on qualifying for the top four in the Premier League. In fourth position with 44 points, the Citizens cannot afford a setback at any time, not least at home.
To add to the pressure, Guardiola has a number of injury issues. Akanji, Oscar Bobb, Rodri, and John Stones are all out. Haaland, recovering from knee pain, is also a doubt. The Norwegian's possible absence would further affect City's attacking effectiveness, which has been poor in high-profile games this season.
The Spanish coach played down the team's inconsistency: "In the Premier League, we played good, good games. Even when we lost 5-1 at Arsenal, we played very well for 60 minutes. The rest, we were not stable."
Guardiola also insisted that a difficult calendar is no alibi: "The fixture list is the fixture list. I never complain about that. You have some difficult games sometimes. We play this one, then Spurs. Then we will have six or seven days between them, which will be good in terms of players' recovery and preparation."
Liverpool looks to build on its advantage
Conversely, Liverpool arrives at the game with a particular agenda, expanding its lead at the top. The Reds have 61 points, having recently played out a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa, failing to expand the lead.
Arne Slot will be without Joe Gomez for this game, and Cody Gakpo and Conor Bradley are doubtful. Nevertheless, the Dutch manager has confidence in his squad, which has been on a 22-game unbeaten streak.
“What I have always asked of City, since Pep's tenure there, is a genuinely good soccer team able to play aesthetically. They might have possibly had one or two months out of these seven or eight years in which they have not been great, perhaps due to injuries."
Slot also acknowledged that playing at the Etihad Stadium is difficult: “What you would wish for is what every other side wishes for when they go to the Etihad and face City. You have to grit your teeth and struggle incredibly hard to keep them out of your net because they're exceptionally, exceptionally good at it."
A battle of giants
This is the battle between two of the Premier League's modern era's best sides. While City lacks its best, it also has the quality to cause headaches to the leaders. Liverpool, on the other hand, has been resilient and consistent under Slot's management.
Regardless of the outcome, this game could be a season-defining one. City needs to win to stay in the contest for the top four, while Liverpool will attempt to cement its grip on the title race.