preview gents one, big game headlines. This one the big
game of the season, the game of the season,
Manchester City against Liverpool at the Etihad that
headlines the action delighted to say, I'm going to be there
reporting for pro soccer talks. I'll be there on site on
Sunday.
Let's dig into this guys. Let's focus on some of the key
battles. We all know how big of a game it is Man City, sit top
of the Premier League table, then one point ahead of
second-place Liverpool.
Obviously, we've just what
there's not many games to go in the season. Now this has
that feel with eight games of the season to go that this is
the title decider.
Of course, if one team wins is a could slip up and it still
could lose it or win it further down the line, but they have
been Sensational in recent months. So it seems like this
is pretty much
for the Premier League trophy
and I wrote something on pro soccer talk with NBC sports.com
which focused on some of the key individual battles. So
I thought we discussed that and look at the tactics and break.
Down the areas because let's be honest is going to be big
battles all over the pitch.
But one that I really want to focus on the start with was
Mohamed Salah the leading goal scorer in the Premier League
against shall conselho. Who for me. It's been the best defender
in the Premier League and down. That flank there, conselho at
left back for City
Salah. Likely to start on the right for Liverpool.
That seems like a big battle Andy.
What do you think is? Stella is struggling for goals a little
bit? Maybe a bit of a hangover from Egypt. Not making
the World Cup in qualifying, but who do you see? See.
Within that head-to-head battle.
Yeah. I almost don't care about the offensive end of that
matchup for Mohamed Salah. I care almost exclusively about
how much he can make conselho. Work defensively to prevent him
from getting forward and tucking into the central
Midfield and being that that player who
creates a lot of chances, for Manchester City for playing
the position that he does at left-back. He's basically
a central midfielder when they're in possession and he passes,
like it. He plays balls him behind like it,
he wins the ball.
Back, like he is a really, really uniquely talented player
similar to Philipp, Lahm feel similar to Joshua chemically as
well. A couple of one all-time great at Bayern Munich and
other that will probably go to go down in a similar vein as
well. The very similar style play and so if solid can be
dangerous at one end and force him
back defensively,
then that's going to hurt Manchester City in possession.
A lot more than I think people probably are going to realize
and probably people are going to focus on because
the tendency with these and of attacker versus Offender
matchups as well. How many chances are they going to get?
Is he going to score a goal? But
I think if Salah is able to force him to work defensively
and put him into into really one-on-one situations. And
that's one thing that Manchester City don't face. A
lot of is
their Defenders rarely defend one-on-one
because even one, they've either got somebody back or to
they're in possession of the ball. And when they do lose it,
they've got multiple players in positions. They're smart. They
work hard defensively. They rotate back the way that
they're supposed to.
And they put those chances out very quickly. Now that's
against teams that aren't Liverpool in that don't attack
is quick on the counter the way that. So,
you know, this is one matchup, but those two players right
there, I think going to have a really big impact on the game,
but maybe not quite for the reason that most people are
going to think going into it.
I remember Solace cooled to Absolute loyalty against Man
City and failed. Turned conselho inside out. And even
though he seemed to be in a good position and Bernardo
silver was covering,
he still managed to get past them and put it in the bottom
corner. Across the goal. So, yeah, that for me is a real key
battle. Another one, Nick
for be Neo against Kevin De bruyne. ER, especially
the brain. This plane is one of those Midfield. 34 City might
playing a false 9 and drop back a little bit. So, even whatever
position he plays. And I feel like he's going to be in and
around for being here
in Midfield there. What do we think about that battle? And
I guess Phil folder will have a big part to play of he's
playing false-9 and just for being here for me to such
a great job at shielding Van Dyke
and Joel metis and obviously Liverpool's record that clean
sheets have been sent. A shadow in recent months. So it's
working really well. Can they shut down the broiler and fold
in a nose? Little areas
just in front of the back for
I'm I'm wondering
what your can clap has up as sleep because
you would have circled for binho
as 100%. A key piece here.
He's one of the only guys who played 90 minutes at Benfica
and didn't sub off and
he say claps saved jota he saved Jordan Henderson
and I I gotta say
I'm worried if I'm a Liverpool fan
that I think that clock thinks he can win the wind Midfield
without fabinho. I'm really worried about that because it
does like Tiago and Henderson and Chicago.
Kita was fantastic. By the way, Keeta looked like a guy that we
thought they were signing a three years ago against
Benfica. But yeah, I think for be no to me,
I think they're both going to Triple these teams are going to
try and win like you were mentioning out wide. And we've
seen both of these managers May. Kind of growing off each
other. It's why I love this rivalry so much, Trend,
Alexander Arnold. Maybe was the first one. It could
have been can't sell o
to start inverting, right? He's a fullback but he's now
operating in these Central places and then we saw the same
thing from Ken's. Hello. And they've become almost like this
third metronome. It's the,
it's the way, honestly. This case. I'm just so goofy. But if
you're a Men's National Team fan, it's how ver halter was
thinking. He was going to drop, Tyler Adams, it right back.
I really think that case,
I We think that's the case, and
I am wondering if this whole game isn't going to be played
on the outside.
Yeah, it's
it's so many key battles. Like we said, right? There is
literally every position and they know each other. So well,
these two teams over the last few years and they haven't
really changed that much as obviously a few new players
here and there, but
they just gone head-to-head late in the season,
Champions League Premier League for the title. That there's so
much memory there in the bank. I think on how to get one over
or what not to do almost. So I think we'll see maybe a cagey
Affair compared to the
tool draw at anfield earlier season, just because
We're that much further in the season and so much more on
the line. And then you also have the FA Cup semi-final Covenant
between to the next weekend
and it all you might play each other in the Champions League
final as well. So again, we spoke about it before. It's
just probably up there with the all-time greatest rivalries at
the same time in premier league history with the great arsenal
man united but all's and
Chelsea man. United battles
in recent years,
and there's just so much the folks of I also want to focus on
the other. Blank in terms of Andy Robertson and car Walker,
how they both get forward and influence
their teams from those positions. I mean, Andy that
particular battle there, Robertson seem to have gone
over Walker quite a lot. In terms of whipping in great
deliveries and getting an advanced positions because
Walker
is always on his bike, right? He's always told to get forward
and that's just the way Man City play, but it does have
that incredible recovery speed as well to get back and give
City
Maybe. Be
that extra ability to pull more men forward because they know
on the counter. They might not get caught out because Walker's
so quick. But what do you see from those two fullbacks there?
Because they've been going at it, pretty much ever since this
clock Guardiola.
Robbery went as started in the Premier League, right? Yeah. So
this is the 1 spot for, especially for City that I'm
completely unsure about. I want to know what you guys think
of this. Because we, with The Narrative of Pepin, the big
game and over thinking and doing something that he doesn't
need to, Is Kyle Walker going to play center back? Is it
going to be a three man back line for this game from but
because
of the issues that they have it Striker
and I think to make them a little bit more defensively
stall it and limit, what Liverpool can do in open space.
If you've got the three centre-backs back there,
especially with Walker. The recovery, the, I just I wonder
if pep goes a little bit more safe in this game because they
have the one-point Advantage
because they're playing at home, because it's their title
to lose if it's a little bit more managing the game. Versus
trying to go out and just win it.
Jack grealish right back, maybe no I'm just joking.
Don't you want? Stones is obviously slotted in here and
there so that's a great point in might even lineup at one
formation and then have an extra defender on whooping slot
over and just kind of
keep the gaps. And of course, both these managers have
the luxury that they don't really have a part from dies from
an see, any big injuries at the moment of their missing and at
this point in the season, that's pretty incredible to
think of how many games they're playing for club and country
that they're in this position. So that makes this
I'm even bigger at the Etihad this weekend. And yeah, those
key individual battles. I think it's difficult to predict
because there can be a guerrilla Sterling Gabrielle
Jesus or could be Mara's, fold and de, bruyne are up top for
city. As Nick mentioned, Liverpool might not
even play for being here on Midfield and they could have,
you know, Thiago alcântara in a totally different role as
well. So yeah, I get that feeling as well. I think that
both managers now. There's that respect level there. Nick, you
brought up the stats earlier
this week in a meeting. We
Had they are neck and neck right in their careers. When
they faced each other in terms of how many wins and losses.
And it's so beautiful to me to see that you can play
a totally different way,
totally different style of play
and still get very very good results.
And that's again. Another X Factor to this rivalry that you
are watching two complete opposites in terms of how they
play the game and they're unbelievable to watch. So
any final thoughts on this Nick before this Mammoth game this
weekend. Yeah. I don't know why I got a sneaky feeling that.
Zinchenko is going to play a big role here. I think if they
have conselho on one side and zinchenko on another, you have
two players who can essentially operate as midfielders there.
I think anything could happen here
and Pap, you know, this right? Well this week he was
questioned about how he operates in these games and you
know, he bristled. And did you hear what he said? After that
game against Atlético Madrid. Egos? I guess. I was
a superstar today.
He's feeling it,
he is feeling it. I think this game could go in any direction.
The one reason, That even though I think City will win
the one reason I'm tempted to think Liverpool could win this
because four games
last four games between these two, we've seen two drawers and
to City blowouts and it just doesn't feel like Liverpool
fails essentially five times in a row
against City. So
can the game start right now is what I'm asking?
I know, kind of light for this Guardiola. Will you have
a cigar out? Or you can clock be fist-pumping to the away fans
at the Etihad? As I said, I'll be there for PST.
Cannot wait to provide live analysis.
Through gently see on the screen when I play a right in
three things. We learned video,
all kinds of reaction. As I said from on the ground in
Manchester. It's going to be one heck of a game and City
against Liverpool this weekend.
Essentially. It's a title decider
and we could not as Nick said be more excited about this game.