Liverpool predicted lineup vs Manchester City - Premier League
Liverpool welcome Manchester City to Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
When Brendan Rodgers was sacked by the Merseyside outfit seven long years ago, his Reds had collected 12 points from the first eight games of the season. Jurgen Klopp has guided his current iteration of Liverpool to just ten points from their opening eight outings.
With little chance of Klopp suffering the same fate as Rodgers back in 2015, here's the XI the German tactician may deploy this weekend.
1. Liverpool XI (4-3-3)
GK: Alisson - Liverpool’s sure-footed number one has misplaced just one of his 169 passes which have travelled less than 30 yards in the Premier League this season (per FBref).
RB: Joe Gomez - In the absence of the hotly-debated Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gomez is set to be ushered into a back-four which has conceded as many goals as 18th-placed Wolves this season (12).
CB: Ibrahima Konate - After an injury-riddled opening to the campaign, Konate made his first start of the season in Wednesday's 7-1 rout against Rangers. Presumably, he is aware it hasn't been quite so easy-going for the Reds elsewhere this term.
CB: Virgil van Dijk - Unlike many Premier League defenders, Van Dijk insists facing Erling Haaland is "something we should look forward to." Whatever you say, Virgil.
LB: Andy Robertson - By returning from injury to feature in Rangers' Ibrox humiliation, the Celtic-supporting left-back timed his recovery perfectly.
CM: Fabinho - Upon his Premier League arrival, Fabinho issued a warning to his former Monaco teammate at Manchester City: “I’ve already told Bernardo that if he ever tries to do some tricks against me, he’ll definitely regret it!”
CM: Thiago Alcantara - "Thiago oder nichts" - Thiago or nothing - was the blunt transfer strategy Pep Guardiola delivered in his first season at Bayern Munich. Almost a decade on, the prized midfielder will be lining up against his former coach.
AM: Roberto Firmino - Across all competitions this season, Firmino is averaging a goal or assist every 59 minutes.
RW: Mohamed Salah - The Egypt international may have nabbed a six-minute hat-trick on Wednesday night but has scored just six league goals from open play since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in February.
ST: Darwin Nunez - Despite his recent improvement, direct communication with Klopp remains limited for Nunez. “We don’t talk much,” the striker admitted. “I don’t know English, he doesn’t know Spanish.”
LW: Diogo Jota - With Luis Diaz scheduled for an extended spell in Liverpool's treatment room, Jota's versatility may see him shoved out on the left until the World Cup.