MatchThe opposition lowdown: Manchester City

Recent form

City have won nine and drawn one of their last 10 league matches and begin the weekend in second place, a point behind the Reds.

Last time out in the top flight, Guardiola’s team came from a goal down to defeat neighbours Manchester United 3-1 on home soil.

In midweek, meanwhile, City booked a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Copenhagen in Manchester that completed a 6-2 aggregate success.

Opposition view

Richard Martin, GOAL

On City’s likely approach at Anfield…

They know it will be an unforgiving 90 minutes and that they will be up against it. Anfield is the ground City dread going to the most, as they have not won there with fans since 2003. Guardiola is very conscious of the effect the home fans can have on the game, simply stating ‘This is Anfield’ after defeat there last season. But despite recent history and Guardiola’s record against Jürgen Klopp - the German is the only coach to have won more matches against him than lost - the conditions are ripe for City to end their Anfield curse.

Liverpool are missing so many key players and Guardiola has his favoured starting XI available, with Jack Grealish being the only major absence. He was also able to rest many regulars in the Champions League at home against Copenhagen and still win comfortably, while Liverpool have one day fewer to prepare and have had to travel back from Prague.

Guardiola is not a manager who normally plays for a draw but leaving the match just one point behind Liverpool would be a very positive result, as City would back themselves to overhaul Klopp’s side in the run-in after doing so in 2019 and 2022.

On City’s key players…

Phil Foden is in the form of his life, with 18 goals and 10 assists in all competitions this season, and his role in the team now goes far beyond goal contributions, with him pulling the strings and dictating how City play. And his confidence will be as high as ever after his match-winning performance in the Manchester derby.

Erling Haaland may have missed an absolute sitter against Manchester United but he made amends and is back to his ruthless best after injury, with seven goals in his last three games, including five against Luton Town. Liverpool will need to watch out for the connection between Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne and they will also know that even if they can keep Foden, De Bruyne and Haaland quiet, Rodri will always be a goalscoring threat. The Spaniard always seems to make his mark on the biggest of occasions.

Predicted XI: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Dias, Ake; Rodri, Bernardo, De Bruyne; Foden, Haaland, Alvarez.

Previous meetings

The reverse fixture between the teams, back in November, ended in a 1-1 draw, with Trent Alexander-Arnold cancelling out Haaland’s opener at Etihad Stadium.

The sides met four times last season, with each winning twice. Liverpool were 3-1 victors in the FA Community Shield in July 2022 and triumphed 1-0 in the Premier League at Anfield in the October.

City, though, edged a fourth-round Carabao Cup tie 3-2 in December 2022 before winning 4-1 at the Etihad in the league in April 2023.

What they said

Guardiola

“Always it was a pleasure [to face Klopp] - and Sunday will be too but we will try to win the game. The way his teams play football, always you learn. The way they play, the teams play. It will be nice because always it has been and [we] accept the challenge.

“I respect completely his decision [to step down in the summer]. I spoke with him and I had the feeling he will be back sooner or later. He is a man who loves football. His passion is there. He explained perfectly the reason why [he is leaving]. In the Premier League it’s the last time [we will meet] but maybe in the FA Cup we can find [each other] and we will see.”