Man City vs Liverpool - Premier League (20/21 - Game 8)
 

https://www.kettlemag.co.uk/wp-conte...B-810x426.jpeg

UK:
Sunday 8th November at 4:30pm
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Australia:
Perth Time: 9th November at 12:30am
QLD Time: 9th November at 2:30am
NSW/VIC: 9th November at 3:30am
Live on Optus Sports

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This is it!

We are top of the league and if we intend to stay there, we need to beat a fairly flat Manchester City. They are still a great side but on the back of our thrashing of Atalanta, we have a fully firing front three and a maybe some key players back for selection such as Thiago and Matip.

I can't help but be overconfident about this one but we certainly won't underestimate them.

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MAN CITY

Table: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/t...ter-city/table

Top scorers (Premier League)

Phil Foden - 2
Raheem Sterling - 2
Nathan Ake - 1
Kevin De Bruyne - 1
Gabriel Jesus - 1
Riyad Mahrez - 1
Kyle Walker - 1


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LIVERPOOL

Table: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/t...iverpool/table

Top scorers (Premier League)

Salah - 7
Mane - 4
Jota - 3
Firmino - 1
Robertson - 1
VVD - 1 :(

Injuries: https://www.premierinjuries.com/injury-table.php

If we play anywhere near the levels of last night, City won't be able to live with us. It was like watching LFC of 2018... fast, energetic, sharp passing, clinical finishing, tight at the back... playing as a complete team unit. It would be awesome to watch how Citeh would cope with that level of intensity from us again. Sadly, I think it'll be a much closer and slower-paced affair

I guess I’d temper that by saying Atalanta were naive to keep playing their way - live by the sword/die by the sword. Pep played open against us for years and we out scored them but recently he has been much more cagey.

I think this will be a tight tactical battle hence why Thiago would help such much to control the game. We owe them after the thumping we got and our tails will be up for sure - big questions include:

CB - Matip and Gomez?
Midfield - Who starts
Jota or Bobby

Looking forward to it though

...would love Thiago to start as I think that will give us a huge midfield advantage. Not sure he's quite there yet or if Klopp will risk it. Might stick with Hendo, Gini and Jones again. I reckon Bobby starts this too...

:handshake: play open vs us and you're in trouble. City game will definitely be cagey. IMO Matip and Gomez will start and Bobby will start. Midfield is an interesting one though and all depends I suppose on just how fit Thiago is. I do feel Jota would be very unlucky not to start but I think Klopp will go with the tried and tested vs City. Bobby will get this game and then IMO we may see Jota replace him in the coming games if he under performs. Bobby needs that keep up the arse, said this in the second half of last season and he is still way below his best. For guy as talented as he is, he has had a very poor 2020. Maybe it's just a slump or maybe he is a bit disillusioned with the "support" role he plays when the other lads get all the glory. Hopefully now that bit of competition to start will be exactly what he needs.

City have Jesus back in time aswell which means they can stop playing Sterling or Torres out of position and gives KDB options to aim at. Could be a real belter of a game.

:handshake:

Whatever lineup we put out, i think we have players on the bench to change the game if we need to.

Is Fabinho in contention for this??? Would be a huge ask to play Matip, Thiago and Fabinho - all coming back from injury

I agree, hopefully Matip is ready, luckily he doesn't need a run of games to get into the swing of things. Probably because he's out more than in, but he almost never lets us down when called upon.

Think that Bobby is vital to how we set up for this game, tactically. If there are games for him, it's the big ones like these. It's tough on Jota given his recent performances, but I'd rather put him on minute 50-70 to make the difference than have our personal and tactics wrong and have to sub him off at half time. I think Klopp playing Wijnuldam as a false 9 against Barca in that semi highlights his approach and thinking towards big games tactically.

I'm confident, but would definitely take a draw. For me, it's important not to lose. Maybe I sound a bit like Mourinho or something but that's what wins titles.

:handshake:

Yeah Matip has come straight in countless times off the back of an injury. Jota could be a fantastic option last 20 alright. Hendo and Gini mailed on, I think Keita might be a starter but for me I would maybe go for Shaqiri behind that front line. He has had some lovely cameos recently and has done well in the big games previously and will have bit more fitness in him that Keita. Seems he can pick a pass that others can't.

Take a draw absolutely :handshake:

Hendo, Wijnaldum and Keita for me.

Mane, Salah and Firmino up top.

Robertson, Matip, Gomez and TAA in defence..

Becker the Baptist in goal.

This for me as well, have Jota, Jones, Neco, Rhys, Shaq, Milner on the bench for some options. That leaves Origi, Nat, Tsimikas outside the squad......holy shit our options are decent even without Fab and Virgil, two of the best players in the world in their positions!

If Thiago is fit, then obviously he's in for someone.

Thiago for Keita if he's fit.

Is Minamino injured?

No, just forgot about him......

Hoping we don't recall Milner to cover midfield with Hendo and Gini... Klopp seems to be using him more sparingly this season so I'm hoping that continues. Big game for Naby lad to (finally) step up and remind us of those displays in his Leipzig days.

Yep I think Firmino will definitely start this one. He's his go to player for these big games. Harsh on Jota but he'll come on in the second half.

Hopefully Thiago will be on the bench if we need him.

I really think City are going to go all out for this one, mentally they need the victory, and I think they have a point to prove.

It'll be tough and I'm nervous already.

Normally I'd say Milner has a chance in a game like this, but I think those days are gone now.

If Thiago is fit I'd throw him in from the start. :D We saw at Chelsea he's so good he doesn't need any coaxing back. He'd be absolutely massive against these to help us control the game and the tempo.

mad how much hype there is over a game between the champions and league leaders against a team in 10th :D

:handshake: It's a massive, massive game and to win, or avoid defeat is a massive statement. A win puts daylight between us and City.

Thiago makes these things more likely. I'd play him.

It’s time we put this nothing club back in their place after their win after we’d secured the title last season. 4-0 thumping coming up

City are the bookies favourites for this match and I'm not sure why?

Being at home is much less of a factor these days and we're top of the league. I'd be using it as an extra motivation anyway as I feel we deserve to be favourites for this.

City prey on team's mistakes seeking to do the damage in the first half. This season especially though they've faded badly physically in the 2nd half.

We need to ensure no giveaways at the back early on and we can start controlling the game. Our attack will do the rest.

They must be shitting themselves at the thought of facing red-hot Jota, Salah and Mane. Plus hopefully Thiago!

Trent has really hit top form again in the past 3 games.

Completely agree!! Of their 7 games, they’ve only “won” one second half- that was when they scored on the 51st minute to equalize with west ham, and they couldn’t go on and get a winner, so that’s not much of a victory. Also it’s not been a case of them having the game wrapped up in the first half- the wolves game is the only game they won by more than 1 goal- due to a goal in the last minute! So basically it’s meaningful that they’re being outscored in the second half of games...

On the other hand, we seem to keep going til the end, getting critical goals after the 85th minute in 3 games, and should have been 4, if we count the Everton game..

So, I reckon if we’re drawing at half time, I’ll be very confident of smashing them in the second half!

Big game, win and confidence will be through the roof. If we avoid individual mistakes we should be OK. I would go with Jota from the start, simply because he is so in form and will press well.

They're also still favourites for the title. What the fuck? If we win we go 8 points clear.

That's mad, didn't realise that.

I mean it's good really, underdogs takes the pressure off, but when are they going to accept we're the best team in the country FFS!?

Feels like we could win three more PLs and CLs on the spin and City would still be favourites for the league every year regardless. Lol.

-----------Salah

Jota------Bobby------Mane

------Ginni----Hendo

Robbo--Matip--Gomez--TAA

Most of the country are still celebrating us losing VVD and in the meantime the LFC machine rolls on racking up wins left, right and centre. Before you know it, we'll be 20 points clear again and everyone will start crying null and void again.

Lawro predicting a Liverpool defeat for the first time in three years apparently.

He’s got them as 2-0 winners.

This needs to be tried and trusted 4-3-3 for what is arguably our Toughest game of the year. Playing a 2 in midfield without Fab would be madness - we looked wide open vs Sheff U and West Ham - City will rip us apart if we don’t have the bodies in midfield

If they win, they go 2 behind with a game in hand, plus over the course of the season they have a bigger squad to cope with potential injuries and fixture congestion. I don't mind them being favourites, pressure on them to live up to it :)

Over the course of the season, the lack of a pre-season for City will cost them, most likely from Feb onwards.

Squad will be crucial of course and also injuries too.

I'd make them favourites to beat us to be honest. I think virgil missing is massive and it's the big games I think we'll miss him most. They are capable of killing us when they click and that's even if we have our full strength team let alone a makeshift centre back pairing. We let soft goals in as do they. Should be interesting but virgil for me could be vital.

If our midfield step up and stop city having a free run at our defence then we will prevail.

No Thiago, no Fabinho... hope Matip’s passed fit. Looks like we’ll have to make do with what we’ve got for this Citeh game. Hopefully springing Jota off the bench to smash a couple in late in the second half.

So annoying. We’ve only seen him for a game and a half and he was dynamite throughout both.

We were warned he misses games. Although this was a nasty tackle.

He picks up the odd muscle injury but he is a regular player and was available for most of last season. It’s hard to mitigate for him being on the end of an attempted leg breaker.......I’m amazed he’s not out for the season

:handshake:

Will never, ever tire of seeing this.

I thought it was gonna be the Robbo vid against City. :D

The pass from Ox on the outside of the boot to create that chance was brilliant - he was so good at that time and then Roma :sigh:

love that fighting spirit :rock:

Shit. Either way I'm glad he's not off to play for Spain but it does leave me concerned the injury is more troublesome than we thought.

Hmm it looks like he's in the background training here if you look carefully so maybe it's just precautionary:

I think a safety first approach makes sense. I'd rather he missed the City game and internationals and we get him for the rest of the season than rush him back and risk injury over the next 2 weeks.

If we play like we did against Atalanta, City will have their hands full.

It definitely looks like Thiago there in the background

While that's probably the sensible approach and I'd maybe do the same, it's still a bit hard to stomach if he makes his PL return at the same time as that f*cker Richarlson. :grr:

I'm going to go out on a limb having watched 'inside training' in its entirity and predict that Jota starts and Bobby remains on the bench.

I've predicted that Bobby will start as he's Klopp's go to man for big games, but I guess Jota has the advantage of being harder to prepare against for Guardiola. Even though he might watch videos and study his style, it will still be hard to prepare as Jota could start in any of teh forward 3 positions and frequently change throughout the game. With Firmino, he's knows exactly what he's up against.

I love Bobby and would find it very hard to drop him, but equally it's hard not to get excited by seeing the same front 3 as Atalanta.

I thinks it’s impossible to not play Jota just now.

The extended clip they showed didn’t feature any of the starting lineup, but did feature Bobby with Shaq, Milner, Williams etc.

Pep’s known what to expect from Firmino since he’s been here, it’s rarely ever helped him. Bobby is always great at disrupting them in these games, I don’t think they’ve ever really found an answer to him. Apart from when we’ve been down to 10 men, or still drunk from celebrating the title :D

Ha, if we don't win, one set of armchair supporters will have a field day.

Get the 3 points and nobody will care if it's Origi that starts up front.

Apart from Origi maybe :haha:

If it were up to me, I'd go for this:

----jota-----------Mane-----------Salah
-------Gini------Hendo----Milner
----Robbo--Gomez--Matip----TAA
------------------Alisson---------

Subs:

Adrian,
Phillips,
Firmino,
Shaqiri,
Tsimikas,
Keita,
Jones

I think I would agree. Not sure if Milner will start though. Huge call in midfield.

If it was Curtis Jones, then that would be huge backing by Jurgen. Perhaps Keita instead ......but not sure we would start with Keita and Matip both back on their first starts after injury in this game.

To have Shaqiri and one of our front 4 (Bobby or Jota) on the bench is great. Options if we need them.

A win here - without Virgil, Fabinho and Thiago - arguably our 3 best outfield players (and if not "best" then perhaps most important) would be fuckin huge for us.