Manchester City host Liverpool on Saturday in a huge game at the top of the Premier League table.
WATCH MANCHESTER CITY v LIVERPOOL LIVE
Pep Guardiola’s side sit top but they’re just one point ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and all signs point to another topsy-turvy battle between these two incredible coaches.
City drew 4-4 at Chelsea before the international break and have shown a lack of control in games this season, which will be a concern to Guardiola. Defensively they’re having balance issues but going forward they are just as ruthless as always with Erling Haaland leading the Premier League with 13 goals so far this season.
Liverpool have their main man Mohamed Salah in fine form too and their story is very similar as they are also having defensive issues due to a lack of balance in midfield. Klopp has ditched holding midfielders for playmakers in his fluid 4-3-3 system and although Liverpool look really good going forward, they are extremely susceptible on the counter. Still, if they win at City then they go top of the league.
How to watch Manchester City vs Liverpool live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 7:30am ET, Saturday (November 25)
TV Channel: Peacock
Online: Stream via Peacock Premium
Focus on Manchester City, team news
City are top of the league but they’ve given the chasing pack hope with several sloppy performances so far this season. Their draw at Chelsea last time out summed up the issues they’ve been having with a real lack of control in midfield hampering Guardiola’s side. That said, they have won 23 home games in a row in all competitions and a win against Liverpool would equal the English top-flight record of 24. John Stones has joined Kevin de Bruyne on the sidelines but the latter is working his way back to a return in the next month or so. Mateo Kovacic, Erling Haaland, Sergio Gomez, Nathan Ake, Ederson and Matheus Nunes should all shake off issues and be available.
Haaland injury news
Erling Haaland played for Norway against the Faroe Islands during the international break but he suffered a reoccurrence of a foot injury which has been bothering him this season and did not play in their second game of the international break against Scotland. That is obviously a big concern for City and if Haaland isn’t fully-fit, Pep won’t play him and Julian Alvarez will likely lead the line.
Focus on Liverpool, team news
Klopp has gone back to all-out attack for most games and it is working as Salah, Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai have struck up a great partnership in attack. Yes, the balance could be better but this Liverpool side are a lot of fun to watch and they’re taking plenty of risks. They have also lost just one league game in their last 23 outings dating back to last season. Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic remain out, while Andy Robertson is recovering from shoulder surgery and Curtis Jones is still out with a hamstring issue. Alexis Mac Allister is back from suspension, while Ryan Gravenberch, Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate are all battling to be fit for this clash.
How many goals does Mohamed Salah have this season?
As we mentioned, Salah is on fire and he has scored 10 goals in 12 Premier League games for Liverpool this season. He also scored four goals for Egypt in their 6-0 World Cup qualifying win against Djibouti over the November international break.