Liverpool FC Vs Manchester City 2019/2020

The Footy Sphere Team
Nov 8 · 3 min read
Will the Kop be a significant factor on Sunday?

What better way to start The Footy Sphere journey than by writing up about one of the most influential games of this Premier League season. Liverpool Vs Manchester City, This fixture involves arguably the two best football sides in the league and possibly the world. The two sides have been dominating the local and European football scene in recent times and is a fixture that many football fanatics can’t wait to feast their eyes upon.

Liverpool will host their rivals which bodes well for The Reds as City have struggled to get results at Anfield. The previous five fixtures at Anfield have seen The Reds win 4 out 5 and the most recent fixture being a 0–0 draw. Putting home and away aside City has come out victorious in the previous 2 meetings, A 2–1 Win for City at the Etihad and the most recent 1–1 draw for the Community Shield which City won on penalties.

Let’s take a look at that previous Premier League fixture which was a season-defining moment for the sides. In that match, City came out firing. They were certainly keen to show Liverpool that they are determined to do whatever it takes to win and that they back the vast quality that they possess. Even so, Liverpool did not just sit back passively and allow City all the freedom in the world. They themselves showed how dangerous their attack can be and that you need to be extremely careful when trying to open up against this Liverpool side. Mane hitting the post and John Stones having to clear his own deflected clearance off the line show that Liverpool are a massive threat to the ever-impressive Manchester City. The stats in that game showed how both sides are in it to compete with no noticeable differences in possession and City managing 4 shots on target with Liverpool hitting 5. Passing stats which both sides usually dominate in their other fixtures showed both sides having nearly equal amounts of passes: City — 578, Liverpool 583.

As a football fanatic myself I am itching to see what both these teams are able to produce on Sunday, as it comes at a point in the league which could possibly define the season for one of them. Liverpool will need to come into this game with a huge heart and strong mentality as this fixture has an eerie similar feeling to the last Premier League battle between them.

On the 3rd of January 2019, Man City was sitting 7 points behind Liverpool (6 points at this stage) coming into the fixture and taking the victory at the Etihad stadium managed to cut that lead down to 4 points. This is why Liverpool need to have that mental grit to not let that situation get into their heads. Seeing how Jurgen Klopp has managed this team since he has taken over will make sure that this doesn’t even become an issue. As we know he has recently called his group of players ‘Mentality monsters’.

On the same note City, themselves will know how important it is for them to produce an effort that can take the 3 points away from their rivals. I mean they know first hand how important cutting Liverpool’s lead will be in fighting for the title. The last fixture shows just that. That is why this fixture, even being in the 1st half of the season, is so important and so exciting for every football fan out there.

Both sides have struggled to keep clean sheets in recent games which can only be a promising sign for the neutral fan who is keen to see the ball smash the back of the net. I can definitely say I am so excited to see how this fixture plays out as both teams like to score goals. Both sides love to pass the ball around, movement off the ball and creative genius from a good few of their players makes this fixture a must-watch.


References:

Statistics from: skysports.com

Image: pxhere.com

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