Following Liverpool’s early August victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield, many began to cast their eyes ahead to when the two sides would face off two months later in October. It was a game that, it as assumed, would have significant title ramifications in the expected race Pep Guardiola’s sportswashers City and the thorn in their sides that has been Jürgen Klopp’s Reds. In reality, things haven’t quite played out as expected, with an injury-plagued and apparently exhausted Liverpool side stumbling out of the gate and currently say 11th with just 10 points from eight games.
City, meanwhile, haven’t lost yet this season, and while they’re currently a point behind upstart Arsenal, few believe the Gunners have the depth of talent to stick with them through to the end of the season. All of which rather takes much of the air out of today’s meeting, where the expectation for most now is that on current form City should be able to defeat Liverpool—and if the Reds are as sloppy in defence as they often have been so far this season, that the game could get ugly. Whatever happens, stick with us on The Liverpool Offside for full coverage of Sunday’s Premier League match.