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Pep Guardiola is prepared for the upcoming test as he leads reigning champions Manchester City to face Liverpool in a pivotal Premier League championship battle this Sunday.
The team from City will be traveling to Merseyside with a one-point deficit, to play a highly important game against Jurgen Klopp’s squad for first place in the table.
Pep Guardiola’s team is expected to win the title for the fourth consecutive season and the sixth time in the past seven years. However, their track record at Anfield is not favorable.
The crowd at City’s stadium has only seen one win since 1981, which occurred in 2003.
They did pull off a convincing 4-1 win three years ago but that was behind closed doors and the atmosphere will be considerably different this time.
When questioned about City’s difficulties in winning at the ground, Guardiola attributed it to the caliber of their team.
The team’s quality was exceptional, as was the crowd. I believe it will be a pleasantly challenging experience, as it always has been.
Guardiola has attempted to dismiss the excitement surrounding the match and declined to engage in the exchange of arguments that has arisen among certain players leading up to it.
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool recently stated that winning trophies holds greater significance for his club. In response, Erling Haaland and Ruben Dias of City remarked that Alexander-Arnold cannot fully understand the feeling of winning the treble.
Guardiola’s lineup for the Champions League match against FC Copenhagen on Wednesday, where he made seven substitutions, hinted that he may have been looking ahead to the game at Anfield.
However, he maintains that he only focused on Liverpool after finishing the task against the Danish team. City had already secured a place in the quarter-finals for seven consecutive years.
Guardiola stated that since they had three days until Sunday, they had enough time to prepare. He also mentioned that he was pleased with the Champions League qualification and on Thursday morning, he began focusing on the Liverpool match.
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I observed some particulars and the form in which they strike is slightly varied compared to past seasons. Additionally, the caliber of certain players and the addition of new players adds a unique element to the game.
“However, the primary trends remain consistent. We have a good understanding of them and I believe they also have knowledge about us.”
“We simply need to make some small adjustments to account for the skill level of each player.”
Unfortunately, City is still missing Jack Grealish because of a groin injury. The status of Jeremy Doku, who was not present for the Copenhagen game, will be evaluated.
Source: independent.co.uk
