Slot’s side also needed two stoppage-time goals from Núñez to beat Brentford, a game in which Liverpool had 37 attempts, the most by an away team in recorded Premier League history.
Liverpool’s performance level has dropped of late but if this is the first serious dip of the season, Slot’s side are not conceding too much ground or too many points.
Should Liverpool win at the Etihad Stadium – and they have not done so in the league since November 2015 – it will be a monumental step towards winning the club’s 20th league championship.
There is an end-of-an-era feel to Pep Guardiola’s side, wounded by an early exit from the Champions League on Wednesday and desperate to react against adversaries intent on taking their Premier League crown.
The path to Munich suddenly looks more complicated for Liverpool, with Paris Saint-Germain and potentially Real Madrid standing in the way of a Champions League final appearance.
