da bwin： No manager has dished out more defeats to Pep Guardiola than Jurgen Klopp, a whopping five from ten encounters, and few teams have caused Manchester City more problems in recent seasons than Liverpool, who’ve beaten the Etihad Stadium outfit four times from their last five Premier League meetings.
da bet sport： That is of course, no coincidence. Klopp’s countering-the-counter philosophy has proved a perfect foil for Guardiola’s possession-based brand of football in the Bundesliga and the Premier League, just as Liverpool’s emphasis on speedy, energetic attackers has repeatedly unhinged City’s high-pressing, error-prone backline.
But history doesn’t always repeat itself in football and this season is incredibly different. City are expected to produce their most convincing title bid since 2013/14 and although Liverpool have started the season strongly, it remains to be seen if Jurgen Klopp’s side can keep up with the pace.
To ensure Liverpool continue their impressive run of results against the Citizens on Saturday, Klopp must find the right answers to these four crucial questions.
Can the same trick work twice?
Liverpool’s emphatic win over Arsenal before the international break owed much to a significant tactical tweak on Klopp’s part, telling his players to sit back and lure the Gunners in – rather than his usual policy of relentless pressing – before using the explosive pace of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane on the counter-attack. Guardiola and Arsene Wenger are very similar managers; they’re both attacking idealists who prioritise how they want their side to play over nullifying the strengths of the other team. In other words, City will play their game rather than fearing the damage Salah and Mane can cause on the break. There are some clear differences, however; City aren’t in the same kind of mess as Arsenal, they’re more organised off the ball (it’s hard not to be), and they’re playing at home rather than Anfield. So, can the same trick work twice or do City need to be treated as a different case altogether?
Does The Ox come into the side?
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain elected for a move to Anfield in hope of establishing himself as a top central midfielder after spending the best part of his career thus far as a wide-man. At £35million, he’s one of the most expensive signings in Liverpool’s history as well, but is there actually room for him in the engine room at this moment in time? Jordan Henderson, Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum, both individually and as a collective, have been fantastic over Liverpool’s last two fixtures, playing a pivotal role in a run of eight goals by supplying that lightening quick forward line. So, can any of them justifiably be dropped to make room for the summer signing?
Who starts at right-back?
Another selection dilemma Klopp must resolve before the weekend. With Nathaniel Clyne sidelined for the next few months, the Reds boss has two youngsters to choose from to fill the England international’s void this Saturday – Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez. The former has performed No.2 duties on the most-part this season, most notably netting a stunning free kick against Hoffenheim, but the latter has featured in Liverpool’s last two Premier League outings, playing an important role in consecutive clean sheets and even grabbing an assist against Arsenal. Gomez is also the more defensive of the two as a centre-back in the making, which perhaps makes him better-suited to the job away from home against a top six rival, but Alexander-Arnold seems more fitting of the Klopp philosophy. Who would you pick this weekend?
Is Coutinho ready for a role?
Reintegrating Philippe Coutinho back into the first team won’t be easy after Barcelona’s succession of bids for the Brazil international, and his subsequent ‘back injury’, during the summer. Ironically, however, there’s now no obvious place for Coutinho in the starting XI, with Salah and Mane performing so exceptionally out wide and Wijnaldum and Can doing such a good job of connecting the midfield to the attack on the counter. Inevitably, Coutinho will have to work his way back into the team, but it’s more a question of whether he’s ready for a spot on the bench. He’s no doubt a fantastic substitute to have – in fact, he’s already scored four goals against City throughout his career – but it remains to be seen if the 25-year-old is mentally ready to come back into the first-team picture.