Jul 26, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Liverpool ahead Mohamed Salah (11) celebrates a win towards Actual Betis at Acrisure Stadium. Obligatory Credit score: Barry Reeger-Imagn Photos Reigning Premier League champions Manchester Metropolis will host league leaders Liverpool on Sunday trying to find victory that might resurrect their season, however maybe with out their most necessary participant.
Striker Erling Haaland has 19 league objectives this season, however he will not be wholesome in time to attempt to add to his whole.
Haaland, who sustained a knee harm late in Metropolis’s 4-0 win over Newcastle United final weekend, already missed the staff’s 3-1 loss at Actual Madrid on Wednesday within the second leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout spherical sequence. Nonetheless, supervisor Pep Guardiola did not utterly rule out the Norwegian marksman.
“Do not know but. (Saturday) we are going to know,” Guardiola mentioned Friday. “It is higher to have Erling on the pitch. … Everyone is answerable for the great issues and unhealthy issues for the staff, however clearly with Erling we’re higher.”
Regardless, Manchester Metropolis (13-7-5, 44 factors) did add some key reinforcements throughout the winter window, most notably Omar Marmoush, who scored a hat trick within the first half of the Newcastle win.
And whereas a miracle surge to catch Liverpool (18-1-7, 61 factors) is unlikely, it would not be utterly inconceivable with a win that would cut the hole to 14 factors and saved Metropolis with a match in hand.
Having obtained a bye to the UCL spherical of 16, Liverpool spent its midweek grappling to a 2-2 draw towards Aston Villa in a fixture rescheduled from March 15 due to the Reds’ run to the Carabao Cup remaining.
Mohamed Salah opened the scoring together with his twenty fourth objective to succeed in his highest league whole since he registered 32 throughout his 2017-18 debut Premier League marketing campaign. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s 61st-minute tally leveled affairs for good.
Nonetheless, a rearguard that started the season in such stalwart vogue beneath first-year boss Arne Slot has now conceded 5 objectives within the final three matches whereas settling for under 5 factors in that span.
Slot can also be effectively conscious that this model of Metropolis is a a lot improved one from that which the Reds defeated 2-0 in early December.
“I can see them coming again already when you take a look at the consequence towards Newcastle,” Slot mentioned. “So what you anticipate is what everyone expects when you go to the Etihad (Stadium) when you play towards Metropolis. It’s important to undergo as effectively and work actually arduous to maintain them away out of your objective as a result of they’re so, so good in ball possession. However they face a powerful staff as effectively that hasn’t misplaced for 22 video games (within the Premier League).”
–Discipline Stage Media
