Date :Sunday 8th November,2020
Time: 5:30pm
Stadium Etihad Stadium
Referee Craig Pawson (England)
Team News:
Manchester City
Man City will once again be without club-record scorer Sergio Aguero, who is not expected back from his hamstring injury until after the international break.
Jesus is in contention to start after his goalscoring return off the bench in midweek, though, and that could see him displace Ferran Torres in the side despite the summer signing’s impressive performances of late.
Fernandinho and Benjamin Mendy also remain sidelined for the hosts, but Guardiola was able to rest a number of players who are expected to come back into the starting XI for this one in midweek.
Rodri, Aymeric Laporte and Dias are among those likely to return, while Joao Cancelo’s goal off the bench could be enough to earn him a start at left-back in the absence of Mendy.
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Rodri, Gundogan; Mahrez, Jesus, Sterling
Manchester City Premier League form: WLDWDW
Manchester City form (all competitions): WWDWWW
Liverpool
Liverpool, meanwhile, will again be without Thiago Alcantara as he misses a sixth straight match as a result of the knee injury he sustained in the Merseyside derby.
Van Dijk, Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also remain sidelined, but Klopp brushed off minor concerns over the fitness of Jota following a knock in midweek.
The summer signing from Wolves has been knocking on the door for a more regular start, and his Champions League hat-trick has taken him to six goals in his last four games for the club.
That form could make him undroppable for this match, leaving Klopp with a decision to make about whether he keeps Roberto Firmino out of the team or switches to a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Joel Matip is ready to return at the back and should come straight into the team alongside Joe Gomez, although Phillips and Rhys Williams have done their chances of further first-team football this season no harm at all in recent matches.
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Gomez, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane; Jota
Liverpool Premier League form: WWLDWW
Liverpool form (all competitions): DWWWWW
Head To Head
Manchester City have won three of the last four meetings between these two sides in all competitions, including a 4-0 victory in Liverpool’s first match after winning the Premier League title last season.
Indeed, that triumph means that City have won their last three home league games against the Reds by an aggregate scoreline of 11-1, and another win on Sunday would see them come out on top in four such games in a row for the first time since March 1937.
Liverpool have only won one of their last 11 league visits to the Etihad Stadium and have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last 10, shipping 26 goals in that time.
However, Klopp does boast an impressive record against Guardiola, having beaten the Man City boss eight times in his career – more than any other manager.
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