After defeat within the Champions League through the week, Manchester Metropolis flip their attentions to a Premier League showdown with league leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
Arne Slot’s aspect will journey to Manchester this weekend off the again of only one win of their final 4 matches in all competitions, however they are going to be welcomed by a Manchester Metropolis aspect nonetheless reeling from a 6-3 mixture defeat to Actual Madrid within the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola’s males have been bit with the damage bug as soon as once more after John Stones was substituted off in opposition to the Spanish giants within the second-leg, whereas Erling Haaland was omitted of the motion with a knee damage he suffered in opposition to Newcastle United final weekend.
There stays an opportunity that Stones might be topic to the identical destiny as Manuel Akanji in requiring surgical procedure on his quadricep drawback, though additional assessments and a last determination will observe within the coming days.
Regardless of that air of negativity, Manchester Metropolis have received 5 of their final seven Premier League video games and have regained a foothold within the battle for the top-four after a woeful November and December.
With the persistent damage points in thoughts, let’s dig into how Pep Guardiola may set his Manchester Metropolis aspect up for the highly-anticipated conflict with Premier League title hopefuls Liverpool this weekend!
Predicted XI
Ederson ought to take up his regular spot in between the sticks for Manchester Metropolis this weekend, regardless of Stefan Ortega Moreno seeing a while because the primary all through numerous moments this season.
With a recent damage setback for John Stones confirmed, the Sky Blues will seemingly be pressured into rolling out pure full-backs as soon as once more which may imply Rico Lewis could rejoin the fray after a stellar efficiency in opposition to Newcastle final day out within the Premier League.
Abdukodir Khusanov has seemingly labored his means into the image for normal beginning minutes, and he ought to transfer again into the centre after beginning at right-back in opposition to Actual Madrid earlier within the week.
In the meantime, Ruben Dias would be the lynchpin of the defensive core and after a shaky opening few moments in opposition to Actual Madrid in midweek, the Portugal worldwide recovered to result in his standard management and stability on the coronary heart of the rearguard.
With little or no alternate options within the left-sided full-back place, and amid the high-quality type of the Croatian worldwide throughout competitions significantly in an attacking sense, we imagine the function will as soon as once more be handed to Josko Gvardiol.
As we head into the engine room of the Manchester Metropolis crew, Nico Gonzalez seems poised to anchor the midfield within the basic Rodri function for the rest of the season after a vastly encouraging begin to life on the membership.
Alongside of the previous Porto man would be the industrious pairing of Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic who, regardless of their numerous struggles thus far this season, shall be tasked with battling an athletic Liverpool midfield.
On the fitting of Manchester Metropolis’s front-three shall be Phil Foden, who has had the propensity to vanish from video games this season, however he stays a serious spark-plug for Pep Guardiola if he’s on his recreation.
Erling Haaland might be again match after sitting out through the week however on the time of writing this text stays topic to evaluation on Saturday, and he would return to his rightful dwelling on the head of the Manchester Metropolis assault.
Omar Marmoush has been a stable performer for Manchester Metropolis in latest weeks, although he has benefitted most from the presence of Erling Haaland. With the earlier prediction that the Norwegian will return, our quantity seven ought to occupy the left-wing/second striker function.
Predicted XI: Ederson; Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; Nico, Kovacic, Bernardo; Foden, Haaland, Marmoush.
Substitutes: Ortega Moreno, Nunes, Reis, Ake, Gundogan, De Bruyne, McAtee, Savinho, Doku.
