During the past few weeks, liverpool’s players haven’t had much chance to breathe. After the hard-earned and dramatic first-ever premier league victory over nottingham forest, sunday provided a rare opportunity to rest weary legs.
It also provided those who were able to take in the manchester derby while still putting their feet up. Of course, the reds had more than a vested interest in the etihad proceedings.
City will host their fellow title rivals city next sunday, but jurgen klopp’s squad will make a short trip down the east lancs road the following weekend to face old trafford in the fa cup quarterfinals.
Few observers would have been surprised by city’s decision to dismiss their neighbors from behind, in the same way that liverpool expects arsenal to beat sheffield united comfortably at bramall lane on monday night. Since mid-january, the three championship candidates have won 19 out of 21 league games, one of which was due to two of them, arsenal and liverpool, facing each other.
In recent years, city has become second nature, and the gunners have profited from the return of some key players, who were battle-hardened by last season’s ultimately fruitless title challenge. Liverpool hasn’t had quite the same fortune, but has managed to keep chiselling out the results.
After saturday’s game, klopp gave a little insight into his view of the reds’ injury crisis, his fourth victory in 11 days after a comeback premier league victory over luton town, the league cup final victory over chelsea, and fa cup progress against southampton.
“i would have said no to all four if you asked me 12 days earlier,” liverpool manager david beckham said. “but the boys made it happen.” Klopp knows that such results will not be sustainable on the long run if he has the funds available.
Although key players such as alisson becker, trent alexander-arnold, curtis jones, and diogo jota will not be back anytime soon, wataru endo, dominik szoboszlai, and matchwinner darwin nunez all returned from the bench over the weekend.
By the time city arrives at anfield, there could be one more high-profile returnee. When stepping off the bench at brentford, liverpool’s success has come mainly without their best player and leading goalscorer, mohamed salah, who has only played one 46-minute game in the last two months.
The egyptian’s success in scoring one goal and supporting another was a reminder of his unmatched importance to the team. Salah is expected to be back for city’s tour, though liverpool’s letter to the egyptian fa requesting that the forward be left out of their international games later this month indicates that the muscle imbalance is still a possibility.
Salah loves it when city comes to town, having scored in five of his six previous home premier league matches between the two clubs during his anfield career, as well as one in the champions league quarterfinals in 2018.
He is the only forward from the triumvirate that has so terrorized pep guardiola ahead of the game, and he is also the one who the city manager fears the most about him.
Since their last premier league loss, a 1-0 loss to aston villa in december, city has won 11 games in a row on the track, including two at the club world cup.
With ten games remaining until next weekend, the game will not determine the title’s location. However, the effect will persist, particularly as liverpool does not play another premier league game for three weeks.
On thursday, klopp will keep minds focused on the next challenge, the europa league round of 16 first leg against czech league leaders sparta prague.
But city’s three-day tour will influence even that team selection. The countdown to next sunday’s anfield match begins now.
