Pep Guardiola’s men left it late before securing the points when they last took to the field, as Raheem Sterling’s strike in second-half stoppage time saw them win 2-1 at Bournemouth. That makes it seven points from a possible nine in the opening weeks of the campaign, although none of City's displays have been overly convincing up to now. It is still early days, though, and Guardiola will be hoping for a big performance against a side who will have similar aspirations to his own this season. City have outshot each of their opponents so far this season and will likely do so again this weekend, but they must ensure they penetrate Liverpool’s shape to create good goalscoring opportunities.
Liverpool also have seven points to their name so far after an opening-day draw with Watford and victories over Crystal Palace (1-0) and Arsenal (4-0). Jurgen Klopp’s side produced the performance of the Premier League season so far with that thrashing of the Gunners, who were overwhelmed by their opponents in all areas of the pitch. Liverpool will not have things so easy when they travel across the northwest on Saturday lunchtime, but the speed they possess in attacking areas means they will still a carry a threat in forward areas. The Reds must be wary of allowing City too much spare at the other end, though: the Merseysiders ended last season with the second-highest xG per shot against, which shows they regularly conceded high-quality chances.
City will have to make do without Ilkay Gundogan, who is still regaining match fitness after a knee injury, and Raheem Sterling (suspension), but Vincent Kompany is expected to feature despite carrying a knock. Guardiola employed a 3-5-2 formation in his team’s meetings with Brighton and Everton, before reverting to a 4-3-3 configuration in the triumph over Bournemouth last time out. It will be interesting to see whether the City boss opts for the former or the latter on Saturday, although it is entirely possible that he chooses a different shape altogether.
Kyle Walker will return at right-back or right-wing back after completing his one-match ban, while Leroy Sane could replace Sterling further forward. As is often the case, Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva will be relied upon to supply the ammunition for the striker(s), with Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero both hoping to feature – either alongside one another or as the lone frontman in Guardiola’s system.
Liverpool will be unable to call upon the services of Nathaniel Clyne (back) and Adam Lallana (thigh), but Philippe Coutinho should return to the matchday squad after playing for Brazil in the international break. It remains to be seen what frame of mind the former Inter man is in after his desire to move to Barcelona went unfulfilled, but the fact that the Reds have been in such good form without him lessens the need for Klopp to rush him back.
The visitors to the Etihad Stadium will likely remain unchanged this weekend, with the possible exception of Simon Mignolet replacing Loris Karius between the sticks. Joe Gomez performed well at right-back last time out and could get the nod ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold, while a midfield three of Emre Can, Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum will focus on pinching possession and moving the ball forward quickly. At the top of the pitch, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane will provide a significant counter-attacking threat throughout the 90 minutes.
This fixture ended in a 1-1 draw last term, and another stalemate could be on the cards on Saturday afternoon. A draw with both teams to find the back of the net looks like a tempting option, while over 3.5 goals to be scored in total is an appealing alternative. In the anytime goalscorer market, meanwhile, consider Jesus from a City perspective or Salah from a Liverpool one.
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