Liverpool vs. Man City: Will the top spot change hands?

Following a run of six consecutive wins, Liverpool followed a streak of three consecutive draws and losses. Before they could recover from their 1-2 defeat to Chelsea in the League Cup, Klopp's team was thwarted by Chelsea's 1-1 draw in the seventh round of the Premier League. Even more painful, in their second group stage match of the Champions League, Liverpool were defeated 1-0 by Napoli in the final minute of regular time.

The recent disappointing results have significantly impacted the morale of Klopp's team. Observing Liverpool's performances against Chelsea (two matches) and Napoli, it's clear that the machine built by the German strategist is experiencing certain problems. Besides a defense that hasn't been very solid (4 goals conceded in 3 matches), the attack has also shown a lack of effectiveness.

Liverpool suffered a defeat against Napoli in their second group stage match of the Champions League. (Image: Internet)

Liverpool manager Klopp himself admitted after the defeat to Napoli: “I think most of the players could have played better than they did. Not having a single shot on target is unacceptable. Napoli had a good game, while we didn’t. So they deserved the three points. What was the exact reason? I’m not 100% sure. But perhaps it was largely my fault.”

To prevent the team from sinking further into a crisis of form, Klopp's men must pick themselves up. Defending champions Manchester City are the obstacle, the "right test" for the strength of the Anfield side. If they fail to beat City, or worse, lose, the competition for the Premier League title in the 2018/2019 season will become infinitely more difficult for Mane and his teammates.

Entering this clash, aside from the unfortunate absence of midfielder Keita (due to injury), Coach Klopp will have his best players available, including Salah, Mane, Firmino, Alisson, and Van Dijk… With such a lineup, plus their record in the last four matches (winning all four), Liverpool have nothing to fear from Coach Pep Guardiola's team. Don't forget, it was The Kop who ended Man City's 22-match unbeaten run in the Premier League last season.

Man City (in blue) lost to Liverpool 3-4 in the second leg of last season's match. Photo: Internet

Furthermore, playing at Anfield is a huge advantage for Klopp's team. Statistically, since their 1-2 defeat in the second leg of the 2002/2003 Premier League season, Liverpool haven't lost to Man City at Anfield. It's highly likely that the match at 10:30 PM on October 7th (Vietnam time) will be no exception.

Everything seems to be against Pep Guardiola's team, except for their form. In contrast to the home team's three winless matches, Manchester City are on a three-game winning streak. The blue half of Manchester have successively defeated Oxford 3-0 in the third round of the League Cup, Brighton 2-0 in the sixth round of the Premier League, and Hoffenheim 2-1 in the Champions League.

Despite being in better form than Liverpool, Manchester City's chances of winning this match are quite low. Even leaving Anfield with a single point is extremely difficult for Pep Guardiola's team. It's likely that the top spot in the Premier League will change hands again.