The Premier League title is well within Liverpool’s sight, and a trip to Manchester City today could bring it even closer to reality.
The Reds head to the Etihad Stadium later looking for a first win there since 2015, and they know just how big three points could be. With Arsenal stumbling in defeat to West Ham on Saturday, Arne Slot’s side has the chance to go 11 points clear at the top of the table, and as we approach the business end of the season, that could prove to be a decisive blow.
A trip to City though can never be considered a foregone conclusion, even with Pep Guardiola’s side 17 points off the pace ahead of kick-off. Today’s hosts are hurting after an early exit from the Champions League, but they still have a big role to play in deciding who takes their crown as league champions.
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There is no alternative for Slot today - only his strongest possible team will do. That means making a big decision in attack, with Cody Gakpo’s involvement up in the air.
The Netherlands international has missed the last two games with an ankle knock, and was yet to make a return to training when Slot spoke to the media on Thursday. Whether he will be fit to play a part today remains to be seen, but considering how important he will be in the remaining months, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Therefore, we’re going with Luis Diaz to retain his spot on the left, hopefully with Gakpo able to make the bench. Mohamed Salah takes his usual spot on the right, while Diogo Jota starts up front - the Portuguese clearly hasn’t found his shooting boots yet after his return from injury, but Darwin Nunez just doesn’t look to be in the right place to start at all.
Elsewhere, it’s as you would expect. Alisson Becker continues in goal, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson lining up ahead of him in defense - and they’ll no doubt be expecting to come up against Erling Haaland today, no matter how much Guardiola tries to throw them off the scent.
Midfield sees the only change from the 2-2 draw at Aston Villa, with Curtis Jones moving back to the bench to allow Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to form their usual trio. The academy graduate will no doubt be needed though to add some grit later on, whatever the situation.
Predicted Liverpool line-up vs Aston Villa: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Jota.
