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Man City’s unheralded strength that can thwart Liverpool’s attack and make history at Anfield
This weekend, Manchester City will travel to Anfield to face Liverpool in the latest chapter of one of the Premier League’s best recent rivalries.
Anfield has been a thorny issue for the Blues in the Premier League era, even during Sheikh Mansour’s tenure at the club.
Last season, Pep Guardiola’s men won the game 4-1, snapping a run of 17 consecutive away league games without a win at Liverpool (D5, L12).
Getting that monkey off the back will undoubtedly boost the team’s confidence ahead of this weekend’s clash, but the Merseysiders are sure to put up a fight.
Jurgen Klopp’s men are the only undefeated team in the division, and their attack has been dazzling throughout the first few weeks of the season.
They have more shots on goal (140) than any other team, and they have also attempted more shots on target (42) than any other team.
As a result, they’ve already scored a league-high 15 goals – and 26 if you count cup and Champions League games.
Mohamed Salah, who has eight goals and two assists in eight Liverpool appearances this season, has been perhaps their most dangerous attacker during that stretch.
He’s been a constant thorn in City’s side when they’ve visited Anfield, directly contributing to six goals in five appearances against the Blues.
The 29-year-old has the added incentive this weekend of knowing he is just two goals away from matching Didier Drogba’s record as the Premier League’s highest-scoring African player, though the Liverpool man will reach the 104-goal milestone in far fewer matches.
The above paints Liverpool as a daunting attacking prospect to face this weekend, but City’s defensive efficiency thus far suggests they’ll have all the tools they need to stop the hosts.
While City’s exquisite attacking play gets most of the attention, it’s the team’s toughness off the ball that has undoubtedly been the most impressive aspect of the season so far.
Guardiola’s men have only conceded one league goal. They’ve also faced only 36 shots, with only five of them hitting the target. As a result, the accumulated xGA is only 0.9.
Needless to say, this is the Premier League’s best in all three categories, but it’s also the best in all of Europe’s top five leagues, not just England’s top tier.
City should be confident that they have enough to beat Liverpool this weekend, and with the quality they have up front, we could be looking at the champions making history by securing consecutive league wins at Anfield for the first time since January 1953.
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Man City’s unheralded strength that can thwart Liverpool’s attack and make history at Anfield
