Kick-off - Sunday 4pm
Venue - Anfield
Last season - Liverpool 1 -0 Manchester City
Live - Sky Sports PL
Referee - Andre Marriner
Jürgen Klopp starts life without Philippe Coutinho with a request that Anfield forgets the departed Brazilian and concentrates on avenging September’s 5-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium instead. A key date in the season for both clubs, he says. “City used the momentum and we suffered,” the Liverpool manager said. “We should try to draw a different picture.” Klopp’s side have the form to threaten the league leader’s unbeaten start to the season, having not lost themselves in 13 league games, and City have not won at Anfield since May 2003. The Premier League expects a treat.
City look nailed on to be crowned champions for the first time in four years, having dropped only four points all season.
Yet manager Guardiola has warned that a couple of bad results could bring the title race dramatically to life again.
He said: “In football and in sport, anything can happen.
“Of course we can lose the title, because you never know what is going to happen in the next 13 or 14 games.
“If we maintain our level, the consistency and the way we play, then okay, we have a chance. But you never know.
“If we start to go down, and lose confidence, and don’t play well regularly, then we will see.
Maybe that is going to happen and I am going to shake the hand of my opponents and congratulate them for being champions.”
Guardiola takes his men to Liverpool defending a nine-month unbeaten domestic record, having not lost in any
English competition since Arsenal beat them in the FA Cup Semi-Final on April 23.
The ex-Barcelona boss had a tough first season at City, finishing outside the top two and failing to win a trophy for the first time in his coaching career.
He has roared back this term, though, playing high-quality football that has left the rest of the Premier League trailing.
Having had his coaching methods questioned last season, Guardiola believes he is now winning the style battle – and cites the attacking brilliance of Liverpool and Tottenham as prime examples that the message is spreading.
