EPL: Guardiola Renew Rivalry With Kloop As Man City Battle Liverpool

Both Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho are out for Liverpool as they head to the Etihad on Sunday. Liverpool are still favourites for the Premier League title, and that opening up an eight-point gap, despite City’s game in hand, may be too big to chase down.

“With the players Liverpool have got out, Manchester City have got to win this game. If they don’t, they’ll look at it as a major opportunity lost.

“It’s an absolute must for them to win, not just for the three points, but psychologically. If Liverpool win this game and they’ve got the players of the calibre they have out, that’s not good for Manchester City. Then Liverpool will go clear at the top again.

“Everybody’s telling me how open the league is this year, but who’s top? It’d be different if Liverpool were in Manchester United’s position. But these two haven’t even played each other yet!

“Even with City’s game in hand, Liverpool going eight points clear would be massive. That’s the gap they gained this time last year when they beat City 3-1 at Anfield. And that was it, wasn’t it?”

“Manchester City get the job done. They’re tighter at the back, I don’t know if he’s trying to make it a bit like this for European games, for the Champions League. When they play in the Premier League they normally open the game up, and it’s like we’re a better team than you, and may win 5-2, 6-1.

“I think they’re trying to play a European style, so when they go into the Champions League he’s not saying: ‘Oh, turn the tap off, we’ve got to be a bit tighter’. Watching them against Sheffield United, it looked like they were trying to play tighter.

“I think that’s the way they’re playing – happy with 1-0s, keeping it tight – I might be wrong but that’s the way I’m seeing it. They can play in the Premier League and win 7-1 and 6-2, and it’s very open. And now, all of a sudden they look solid.

“It’s hard to turn that tight style on and off like a tap. You can’t just say: ‘We’ll defend this week, because we’re playing a tough game in the Champions League, but when we play a lesser team at the weekend, we’ll open the game up and have a game’. They get found out, they get done.”

“I still can’t envisage anyone besides Liverpool or Man City winning the league. I just can’t see that. I know Tottenham have started really well and I hope they have a great season and there are more challengers, but I just can’t see anybody else lifting that league title besides the big two of the last few years.

“I’d been very strong putting Liverpool as favourites for the title, but for the injury to Virgil van Dijk – not just one of Liverpool’s top players but one of the top players in the Premier League.

And if something similar would have happened to, say, Kevin De Bruyne for Man City, who is their top man, I think you’d say the same for City. I think it makes for an even more interesting race, no doubt about that.“