Liverpool finally got back to the game this weekend by going to the Etihad to face Man City, but how should Jurgen Klopp approach this match?
The two teams have met a total of five times in 2022, with Guardiola’s team winning the last meeting 3-2 in the fourth round of the League Cup back in December.
The Reds ousted Man City until the last day of last year’s championship race, but they are currently 19 points behind the hosts ahead of Saturday’s lunchtime clash.
It will not be easy to leave with all three points in this case, since Liverpool’s last league win at the Etihad returns in 2015.
The 17-day break has allowed a number of players to make progress in recovering from injuries, meaning there is no shortage of options when it comes to squad selection.
How could the starting line-up prepare for this?
Team News
The coach provided information about mixed injuries for some of the recent absentees during his press conference in front of Manchester City:
- Luis Diaz has returned to the training of the main squad, but is still unavailable for selection
- Darwin Nunes “claims” to start
- Tiago is still not in the game, but is approaching full fitness
- Naby Keita is out of the game due to a muscle injury
Liverpool’s XI vs Manchester City
Injuries to Thiago, Stefan Baisetic and Keita are likely to force Klopp to act somewhat in midfield, but he still has several options at his disposal.
Fabinho and James Milner started as two midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 formation in the last match against Real Madrid, but the need to score at least three goals was a big dictator.
Jordan Henderson seems to have fully recovered from the illness that made him unable to travel to the Bernabeu, and will most likely be restored this weekend.
Given all this, the “reds” could start like this:
- The unchanged four defenders of Real Madrid with Alisson in goal
- Henderson will replace Milner in midfield
- Liverpool will return to the 4-3-3 scheme, and Harvey Elliott will replace Diogo Hota.
Here’s how Liverpool will take the field:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Elliott; Salah, Nunez, Gakpo
The manager’s press conference deprived him of the hope of seeing Diaz’s name among the substitutes.
It was fantastic to expect the Colombian to return to the squad immediately, given the length of his absence, but fans will be hoping to see his name on the game-day squad in the coming weeks.
Injury problems in midfield and the relative variety of attacking options may prompt Klopp to use the 4-2-3-1 scheme we saw at the Bernabeu, which will give Diogu Jota a chance to score his first goal after this match last April.
Arthur may even have the opportunity to take part in this match in some capacity, especially given the busy schedule that follows this match:
- Jota leads in the 4-2-3-1 scheme
- Gakpo will play the role of number 10
- Henderson and Fabinho provide the backbone of the midfield
In this case, the “reds” would line up as follows:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez; Jota
It’s a brutal start to April for the Reds, but points are still necessary if we want to keep any hopes of getting into the top four.
Liverpool have had a habit of saving the best for big events this season — let’s hope they have something up their sleeve again.
Up red.
