Liverpool Vs Manchester City: The Sportsrush reasons out why will the Citizens defeat Liverpool in the upcoming Premier League match.
Liverpool Vs Manchester City is the ultimate battle in the Premier League title race since these two are the only teams who are deemed to challenge for the title this season
Liverpool is at the top of the table with 5 points clear and a game in hand from second-placed Leicester city and third-placed Chelsea. Meanwhile, Manchester City slipped to the fourth position after the Blues dominated Crystal Palace and the Foxes annihilated Arsenal but the Citizens do also have a game in hand.
Apart from their dominance in England, both the teams are also being considered as the best teams in Europe with the kind of form they possess. Moreover, any kind of result from this tie will shape the league dramatically.
If Liverpool wins then they will be 8 points clear from Chelsea at the top of the table. If Manchester City wins then Liverpool will be under even more pressure to not drop points and if they lose any points after it, surely it will be fatal for the Reds.
But even if it ends up in a draw, Chelsea and Leicester City will be in a close contest for the league title but Liverpool will remain safe for a while at the top of the table.
Amidst all this, we analyze why Manchester City will win against Liverpool even though the match is at the Anfield tonight.
Related story: Liverpool vs Man City: 3 reasons why The Reds will beat Man City in their Premier League encounter
1. Manchester City’s superior midfield will give them an edge
In football, midfield battle is very essential and there is no doubt that Manchester City’s midfield options are far better than Liverpool’s squad. Although, Liverpool’s midfield is suitable to their game style as they provide security to defence behind instead of being creative.
Liverpool usually generates its creativity from the fullbacks, as Trent Alexander Arnold and Andy Robertson contribute heavily upfront and rest of the attacks are managed by the front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah.
A disciplined structure by Jurgen Klopp but Manchester City’s midfield has the potential to nullify this system and make it restricted. Plus, Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva have the capability of splitting spaces, which can do the job for the Citizens.
2. The pressure to remain at the top and last-minute escapes can’t be repeated
Liverpool has every time faced pressure whenever they reached the top of the table, and in every instance, they have been left disappointed. One would argue this is different Liverpool in comparison to the Reds, which reached at the top in previous years.
However, last season’s heartbreak might affect them mentally, considering a lot is at stake during this fixture as mentioned above and in this process, Manchester City can capitalize through the pressure mounted over Liverpool.
Moreover, Liverpool has been fortunate enough to grind results in the last few matches, even in the last Premier League fixture against Aston Villa, where Sadio Mane’s last-minute goal escaped them from dropping points.
So, such instances cannot be risked to be repeated against teams like Manchester City and the Reds have to lift up their game to not rely on their luck factor in order to outclass the defending champions.
3. Raheem Sterling’s form and goal-scoring rate can be lethal
Raheem Sterling is yet to reach his peak years, but still is very sharp and has drastically improved his finishing. Amidst all this, the English International is coming back to his former club to haunt.
Since the start of this edition of the Premier League, Sterling has amassed 7 goals and 1 assist in the 11 games he has played. An impressive stat and certainly the player is challenging for the Premier League golden boot.
Although, the 24-year-old forward doesn’t have a good record against Liverpool, and had a drought of 807 minutes against the Kops before he scored against the Reds in the community shield match.
Moreover, he has not scored at the Anfield since 2015, a figure restricted to only 13 goals, none of them while playing for Manchester City. Thus, this stat certainly balances out this point but considering his recent form, we can’t ignore his presence on the field.
