Manchester City are second-favourites to win a Premier League game for the first time in more than 2,500 days, according to one British bookmaker, but Liverpool manager Arne Slot is reading nothing into the champions’ meltdown ahead of Sunday’s big clash at Anfield.
City’s staggering loss of form resulted in five successive defeats in all competitions and while they ended that losing streak on Tuesday, a 3-3 home draw with Feyenoord in the Champions league, having been three up, only fuelled the sense that the wheels have fallen off Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut.
Premier League leaders Liverpool will go 11 points clear of City if they beat them on Sunday and the way Slot’s side are playing, few would bet against that happening.
A 2-0 victory over European champions Real Madrid on Wednesday made it 17 wins from 19 matches in all competitions for Liverpool since Slot replaced Juergen Klopp and also put them top of the Champions League table with a 100% record.
With a shaken Guardiola describing City as ‘fragile’ it seems like the perfect time for Liverpool to make another huge statement of intent. But Slot is wary.
“They are still a very good team and one of the reasons why Pep is the best in the world, he always comes up with solutions for his problems,” the Dutchman told reporters on Thursday.
“One might be (midfielder) Rodri is out now but he will come up with a solution, hopefully it is after Sunday. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pep comes up with another brilliant idea.”
Even when City were in their pomp, visits to Anfield have always been difficult.
Nine times Guardiola has taken a City side to Liverpool and only once did he taste victory — a 4-1 win behind closed doors in February 2021. Five times City were beaten with three other games ending in draws – including last season.
While City are stuck in a horrible rut, Arsenal have emerged from their own pit of despair in timely fashion to revive their hopes of keeping in touch with Slot’s side.
A 3-0 home win against Nottingham Forest last weekend ended a run of four Premier League games without a win and they followed that up by trouncing Sporting 5-1 in Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday.
With captain Martin Odegaard back from injury and pulling the strings again and Bukayo Saka firing on all cylinders, they will head to West Ham United on Saturday full of confidence.
Victory would enable Mikel Arteta’s side to close the gap on Liverpool to six points.
“But it’s not enough, we have to keep going like this and we have a big game on Saturday,” defender William Saliba said after the win in Lisbon.
“But it’s good, it’s good for the confidence that we won today and let’s keep going like this.”
Third-placed Chelsea, who like Arsenal have 22 points, have emerged as challengers for silverware in Enzo Maresca’s first season and they will be seeking to maintain their momentum as they host a struggling Aston Villa side on Sunday.
Sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, fresh from their drubbing of City last weekend, have been the most unpredictable team in the Premier League this season and their fans will be taking nothing for granted as they host ninth-placed Fulham on Sunday.
Brighton and Hove Albion begin the weekend action at home to Southampton on Friday when victory would lift them to the heady heights of second.
