Premier League champions Manchester City return to the scene of their worst defeats of last season when they take on title rivals Liverpool in a highly-anticipated clash at Anfield on Sunday.
City were beaten twice by Jurgen Klopp’s team on Merseyside – a 4-3 defeat in the league and a 3-0 reverse in the Champions League quarter-final, first leg.
The matches were superb entertainment for the neutral fan and another high-octane affair is expected on Sunday.
Both teams have made unbeaten starts to the domestic season with six victories from seven games and 19 points each – Pep Guardiola’s side are top of the table thanks to a better goal difference.
The manner of Liverpool’s victories, ripping apart City’s defence with their high pressing and high-speed forward line, left the impression that the Reds may have City’s number.
“These are the games you want to win. They are a team in form and at Anfield, we know this will be a difficult game for us,” City captain Vincent Kompany said.
“But I think this City side has shown in the past that we are always up for these games,” he added.
In January, Liverpool led 4-1 before a late City attempted comeback yielded two goals in the last 10 minutes, with all three of Klopp’s forwards – Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino – on target.
That front-line hasn’t quite hit the heights of last season yet with Salah in particular lacking sharpness, but in Xherdan Shaqiri and Daniel Sturridge, whose spectacular late goal earned a point at Chelsea last week, Klopp has options from the bench.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp meanwhile insists they cannot use their intense schedule as an excuse heading into the top-of-the-table clash.
Wednesday’s 1-0 Champions League defeat against Napoli was as concerning as it was disappointing. Losing to a 90th-minute goal will have upset Klopp, but more worrying was the number of players who underperformed.
Sunday’s visit of the defending Premier League champions is both clubs’ seventh match in 23 days between the September and October international breaks.
“It is a tough game, absolutely,” said Klopp, whose side last season drew six of their 12 fixtures immediately after a Champions League tie.
“It is absolutely intense since the last international break. We cannot change that so we have to make sure we are ready.
“We don’t have to think about intensity. We have three days to recover and then we will face Man City.
“It would’ve been difficult anyway at any time of the season, it is always difficult, but let’s have a look how the players are after the game and then we will prepare.
“Then we have our crowd at our backs. You could see Napoli used the atmosphere and we couldn’t calm it down, but on Sunday it will be 100 percent different.”
Elsewhere, Jose Mourinho can ill-afford another poor result for his struggling Manchester United side when they face Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Amidst reports of divisions in the camp, United have not won in their last four outings in all competitions and are 10th in the Premier League, nine points adrift of the top two.
Third-placed Chelsea, who are also unbeaten, are away to Southampton on Sunday while Arsenal face promoted Fulham at Craven Cottage.
After a 4-2 Champions League defeat to Barcelona at Wembley on Wednesday, Tottenham Hotspur, depleted by injuries, host second-bottom Cardiff City.
