Slot’s team could open up an 11-point advantage at the top of the table. Manchester City host Liverpool in the Premier League with the leaders looking to establish an 11-point lead at the top of the table. Arne Slot’s side could only manage a draw to Villa in midweek, but Arsenal’s loss against West Ham gives the Merseyside club an ideal opportunity to swell their advantage again as they look to take another significant step towards the title. In a different season, this might have been a fixture of even greater consequence, but Manchester City’s trials and travails leave them languishing down in fourth rather than in hot pursuit of their opponents.
An embarrassing exit from the Champions League in midweek at the hands of Real Madrid only increased the scrutiny on a side that seems to have totally lost their way. With the FA Cup now their own realistic hope of a trophy, Pep Guardiola’s side will hope to provide a different input in the title race as they look to throw their familiar foe off course.
Follow all of the latest from the Etihad with our live blog below:. When Liverpool were looking for Jurgen Klopp’s successor, Arne Slot ticked a lot of boxes. He had overperformed relative to his budget. He had improved players with his coaching skills. He played the right brand of football. He was seen as a fine communicator.
One factor attracted less attention at the time. Liverpool noted Slot’s approach to sports science, to Feyenoord’s medical record. “At Feyenoord we kept our players fit – available is a better word – but we were always one of the fittest teams in the league as well when it came to running or the last 25 minutes of the game,” Slot said this month. As Liverpool head to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, unbeaten in 22 league games and 17 points clear of the reigning champions, there are smaller numbers their rivals may seek to emulate.
Hello and welcome to The Independent’s LIVE coverage of one of the most eagerly-anticipated Premier League fixtures of every season. Manchester City and Liverpool have produced so many brilliant battles over the last few years, but this one feels different - the table-toppers come to the Etihad Stadium to face a home side that has seemed totally lost of late and facing the very real prospect of a trophy-less season.
