• Friday, July 26, 2024
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Man City vs Liverpool: Carragher tips Citizens to defeat Reds

Premier League action returns this weekend with an exciting cracker when potential title rivals Manchester City(Man City) and Liverpool go head-to-head on Saturday, 25 November, 2023at the Etihad.

It is the first game back after the final international break of the season and once again sees the two jostling for the top spot.

Pep Guardiola versus Jurgen Klopp is one of the most compelling managerial rivalries of all time. The pair have pitted their wits against each other on 28 occasions, Klopp successful 12 times, Guardiola 11 times and honours shared five times.

Their 29th meeting, at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday will, without doubt, be another enthralling contest because these two brilliant managers do not know how to produce anything else.

City went into the break with a draw away at Chelsea and has since been dealt with injury problems.

The Citizens top the Premier League table with 28 points from 12 matches, while the Reds are second with one point behind.

Liverpool was given a boost on Thursday with the return of players who had been carrying injuries to the training pitch.

Ryan Gravenberch, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Curtis Jones were all involved in the session, having missed the win over Brentford before the international break.

The Premier League’s top two meet for an early title showdown at the Etihad Stadium, a venue the Reds have not won since 2015.

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Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes Klopp’s side will struggle against Man City ahead of their showdown at the Etihad Stadium.

City secured all three points against Klopp’s men the last time they met in Manchester after Mohamed Salah’s early opener was cancelled out by goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, Julián Álvarez and İlkay Gündoğan.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast (via the Mirror) ahead of the clash, Carragher said: “It will be tough, the best Liverpool will get is a draw. Liverpool’s record there is poor,” the Liverpool legendary defender said.

“Liverpool’s defensive record has been really good this season and Virgil Van Dijk has not been too far away from his best. But there are still chinks in the armour with Andy Robertson out, Trent Alexander-Arnold in that midfield going back to fullback, and I’m thinking of Doku coming up against him.

“Also, Liverpool defensively in midfield still haven’t really got that top-class number six, so it will be difficult. The best they’ll get is a draw.”