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Liverpool can smell an opportunity as it heads to Manchester City today, and Arne Slot has a big question to answer - does he break up a winning team?
With Arsenal suffering a rare slip-up - albeit a minor one - after failing to hold on to a win at Sunderland on Saturday, both sides will have the chance to make up some ground on Mikel Arteta’s team at the Etihad Stadium.
The Reds will be eager to show they are still the Gunners’ closest challengers, and prove their title defense is far from over. Anything less than a win against Pep Guardiola’s side though would come as a major blow to those hopes.
After back-to-back wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid, Slot will hope his side has put its dismal form behind it now, with the Liverpool boss having essentially restored his team to its factory settings.
The Dutchman therefore shouldn’t be looking to make any changes, especially with his players on a high following the performance against Real.
Of course, some decisions have been made for him. With Alisson Becker not set to return until after the international break, Giorgi Mamardashvili will continue in goal.
Conor Bradley’s outstanding performance against Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe makes him nailed on to continue at right-back, with Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk taking their usual spots at the heart of the defense.
Andy Robertson surely has to continue at left-back. Milos Kerkez will hopefully come good at some point, but for the time being, there is no sense in dropping the Scotland international.
The midfield stays the same. Ryan Gravenberch has shown how much he was missed during his brief injury layoff, Alexis Mac Allister looks as though he’s starting to find his feet again, while Dominik Szoboszlai has his place in the side nailed down - and he should be starting in the No.10 spot again.
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Simply put, Liverpool has looked so much more balanced with the Hungarian back in the position he took up last season. That’s not to say the Reds should give up on Florian Wirtz though.
The German international looked bright against Real, and had it not been for Thibaut Courtois, he might have had another assist or two to add to his tally. It’s a tight call between him and Cody Gakpo on the left, but with his confidence up, Wirtz should get the nod to start on the left.
Mohamed Salah starts on the right, as per usual, and Hugo Ekitike keeps his place up top. Even if Alexander Isak was fit to start, that should have been the case anyway.
Liverpool predicted lineup vs Manchester City: Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Ekitike.
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