Manchester City predicted lineup vs Liverpool - Premier League
Manchester City travel to Merseyside to face Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
After the clubs drew 2-2 last April, just one point could separate them over the previous four seasons of Premier League football. However, heading into Sunday's showdown, Manchester City have pulled 14 points clear of the Reds in this period.
Here's the lineup Pep Guardiola may deploy to widen the gap further.
1. Manchester City XI (4-3-3)
GK: Ederson - The Brazilian has conceded more goals against Liverpool (19) than any other club in his senior career.
RB: Manuel Akanji - The versatile arrival from Borussia Dortmund has been part of four clean sheets in his first six games for the club.
CB: Ruben Dias - Before the 2018 World Cup, he vowed: "I’m confident in my tactical and technical ability, and I want to reach the top.” Dias has since won the league in Portugal and England while claiming international silverware with his country at the Nations League. Mission accomplished.
CB: Nathan Ake - With Aymeric Laporte still being eased back to full fitness, Guardiola may plump for Ake as his left-footed member of the back-four.
LB: Joao Cancelo - The omnipresent full-back leads the league for touches, passes and carries. Cancelo has more of the ball than anyone else in a team that craves possession more than any other.
CM: Kevin De Bruyne - Growing up as a Liverpool fan, De Bruyne idolised Michael Owen.
CM: Rodri - The all-seeing midfield pivot surprisingly hasn't been surprised by Liverpool's struggles this season.
CM: Bernardo Silva - Manchester City's rivalry with Liverpool is often accused of being too cordial - though Bernardo has done his best to sour relations with the Reds fanbase over the years, culminating with a Tweet which branded the Merseyside supporters "pathetic" in 2020.
RW: Phil Foden - With goals in his previous two Premier League trips to Anfield, Foden could become just the third player in the competition's history to find the net at Liverpool's home in three straight matches this weekend (after the odd couple of Andrew Cole and Christian Benteke) (per BBC).
ST: Erling Haaland - Since misfiring against Liverpool in the Community Shield, the goalmonger has scored in every match away from home for City - including a record-breaking four on the spin in the Premier League.
LW: Jack Grealish - The former Aston Villa captain is the only player in Premier League history to have been directly involved in five goals in a single game against Liverpool.