Liverpool have little injury worries ahead of their top-of-the-table clash against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon, although Ibrahima Konate may miss due to limping out of Thursday’s Europa League win against Sparta Prague, although Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez should return from suspensions or absence.
Wataru Endo has also made an excellent impression since his arrival at the club and could make his debut alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister. He has proven himself an asset since joining us. In this article, we will discuss the main point of Liverpool F.C. Vs Man City Lineups.
CM – Wataru Endo
Liverpool have recently brought in Japan captain Wataru Endo from Stuttgart after losing both defensive midfielders Fabinho and Henderson, to add depth to the club. Though his arrival may not cause as much fan excitement as expected, Jurgen Klopp has made an intelligent move by adding another highly experienced defensive midfielder with creative capabilities – Wataru Endo is 30 and can play both defensive and creative midfield roles, giving the squad additional depth. While Endo may not make headlines as his signing may not cause as much stir among supporters; nevertheless it’s smart move by Jurgen Klopp as Jurgen added depth in an underrated move he made recently.
Endo has yet to be named in Liverpool’s squad for their match with Manchester City this weekend, but should be fit to start. He left their last match after suffering a knock and leaving on crutches but his condition does not appear serious; further testing should determine his suitability for taking on Red Devils.
Endo will make Klopp’s job in the middle much simpler as he will have more options at his disposal, but is unlikely to provide long-term security in that position as he lacks offensive prowess. Still, Endo can provide some experience and help the Reds keep up with City’s lightning quick transitions.
Klopp will likely employ the same defensive lineup from their win against Brentford unless Ibrahima Konate becomes injured, in which case Joe Gomez or Jarell Quansah may replace him at centre back while Conor Bradley should keep his place despite an inexact performance against Brentford.
Up top, Mohamed Salah should start on the right and look to cause City problems again while Lucas Leiva should partner him in the centre of the park. They will be supported by Dominic Solanke and Ryan Gravenberch who can both offer some extra forward play options. Klopp can add creativity by selecting Federico Chiesa if desired; though it seems unlikely he will make his debut this weekend.
CM – Alexis Mac Allister
Liverpool’s starting midfield has been an immense strength this season. Fabinho has established himself in the center of the park while Mac Allister has impressed as an understudy at No 6. His 4.61 tackles, interceptions and blocks per 90 put him amongst the top eight percent of players in Premier League and Klopp has identified Allister as someone to step into Fabinho’s shoes should the Brazilian be injured.
Klopp is looking to strengthen his defence without Joel Matip and has seen much promise in young Conor Bradley, 22-year-old who impressed in Liverpool’s 3-0 win against Sparta Prague last week and could start alongside Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate – while Joe Gomez, who made an immediate impact after signing for City before suffering an injury, could also feature prominently against City.
Pep Guardiola should face less concerns from a fitness perspective going into this match than those he previously managed at Feyenoord and Ryan Gravenberch’s absences; his former Ajax boss Arne Slot is familiar to Guardiola from their time together at Feyenoord; both managers will likely seek an edge before the 2024 Champions League final takes place.
Klopp is expected to adopt a 4-3-3 formation against Manchester City, with Gomez likely tucked behind Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate. Wataru Endo may start on the left in order to torment City’s full-backs, with Darwin Nunez joining Luis Diaz in attack alongside Luis Diaz as potential options if needed; Gakpo and Elliott will likely provide another backup option; otherwise this trio should provide enough firepower for victory for Klopp’s men. After disappointing performances against United last term, if Liverpool press effectively they could turn this matchup into high scoring affair!
RW – Mohamed Salah
After an inauspicious start to their Premier League campaign, Liverpool are back on top and set for another crucial encounter against city rivals Manchester City at Anfield. Following their defeat to Arsenal last time out, Liverpool has managed to take two wins out of their three recent matches; should this trend continue it will be difficult for Manchester City to catch them up.
Liverpool have relied heavily on fringe players and Academy graduates to keep the ship sailing this season, and this strategy has paid dividends. Caoimhin Kelleher, Harvey Elliott, Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley have been stellar replacements for regular starters; therefore it wouldn’t come as any shock if one or more started against City.
At Liverpool vs Man City, Virgil van Dijk will likely start on defense, and Ibrahima Konate should sit out due to injury. While Dutchman won’t have had his full medical scan done just yet, expectations are that he should be fit enough to play and Konate will drop down to the bench; Joe Gomez could then replace Konate at left-back.
Mohamed Salah will be an enormous boost for Liverpool when he returns, hoping to strike fear into City defence with a goal against Sparta Prague in Europe League and Luis Diaz on the left flank.
Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister will occupy positions in front of Liverpool vs Manchester City combined lineup, where their responsibility will include keeping City’s attack under control while pushing on Rodri to keep him from dominating tempo from deeper positions. Dominik Szoboszlai should provide cover in midfield should any injuries arise – alongside Salah, Nunez and Diaz making up an effective attack alongside this defensive trio. All in all it will be interesting to watch how Klopp organizes his squad before this contest begins on Saturday!
RW – Luis Diaz
Luis Diaz has made two starts for Liverpool this season as an attacking midfielder and may soon secure himself an established starting place. Last weekend in their 2-0 win against Brentford, Diaz created most of their chances and scored their opening goal – showing his worth since joining Liverpool from Porto for PS49 million back in January.
Former Barcelona youth product, Mahrez has mostly played on the left of a front three at Liverpool but can also operate as a centre-forward if required. Thanks to his speed and agility, he can get into good positions to receive passes from wide positions while making runs behind opponents. Mahrez often benefits from false nine movements of their main centre-forward that pull defenders out of shape to allow more space for him to attack.
By taking advantage of his additional space, he can dribble into central areas and play between and around the opposition’s defence. Furthermore, his quick pace can prove helpful when pressing opponents while deep positions offer ample opportunities to score goals.
While Liverpool have been notable for their attacking prowess, their defense has also shown promise. They held onto their lead against Ipswich Town with Kieran McKenna hoping his side can continue their strong start when visiting Manchester City next weekend.
Following their win against Brentford, Liverpool only made one change to their starting XI – Ibrahima Konate replacing Jarell Quansah due to injury. New signing Federico Chiesa appears unlikely to start, however, due to lack of match fitness.
The Manchester derby is an important contest, and hosts will hope to extend their unbeaten record against rivals by maintaining an aggressive approach and playing more direct football than their adversaries. They possess a much stronger roster compared to rivals, enabling them to increase their odds of victory while keeping unbeaten records intact.
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