An in-depth take a look at our opponents this weekend…
Liverpool are the guests to the Etihad Stadium in a 16:30 (UK) kick-off to finish the Premier League weekend.
After the fixture, a lot of our gamers will head out on worldwide obligation – returning forward of the 22 November journey to Newcastle United.
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Sitting second within the league with 19 factors, we go into the match in good kind, whereas our opponents are only a level and a spot again from us.
How will it play out on the Etihad?
We check out Arne Slot’s Liverpool with the assistance of Opta knowledge…
Latest kind
After profitable their first 5 video games of the Premier League season, Liverpool’s fortunes took a nosedive – dropping their subsequent 4 within the league.
They steadied the ship final weekend, beating Aston Villa at Anfield.
That has left them on 18 factors after 10 video games, third within the league and only one level behind Metropolis.
Liverpool can even take some confidence from their midweek efficiency towards Actual Madrid.
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They have been 1-0 winners and will simply have received by extra if not for an impressed Thibaut Courtois efficiency within the Madrid aim.
Most well-liked formation
Having been recognised for a 4-3-3 form more often than not below Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool have combined it up since Arne Slot’s arrival in the summertime of 2024.
This season, they seem to have just lately settled on a 4-2-3-1 form with considered one of Hugo Ekitike or Alexander Isak main the road, flanked by Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo and with considered one of Dominik Szoboszlai or Florian Wirtz within the No.10 position.
The double pivot of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch was central to final season’s title, whereas Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate play nearly each minute of each sport at central defence.
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Georgian Giorgi Mamardashvili is the present occupier of the goalkeeper’s shirt with common first selection Alisson out injured.
Summer time exercise
Liverpool responded to profitable final season’s title by making a number of big-ticket additions to their squad.
Newcastle striker Isak and Bayer Leverkusen’s Wirtz have been probably the most notable signings of all, attracting consideration from everywhere in the soccer world.
Ekitike, purchased from Eintracht Frankfurt, has additional bolstered their attacking choices.
In addition they signed gamers throughout the backline, together with Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez and Leverkusen right-back and former Metropolis Academy man Jeremie Frimpong.
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We’ll not be seeing the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Jarell Quansah in a Liverpool shirt after they moved on in the summertime.
Supervisor
Arne Slot had the unenviable activity of following up the much-loved Klopp earlier than the beginning of the 2024/25 season however received plaudits on his option to a Premier League title in his first season.
He spent his complete skilled enjoying profession in his native Netherlands, representing FC Zwolle, NAC Breda, Sparta Rotterdam and PEC Zwolle earlier than retiring in 2013.
His teaching profession started with Cambuur in 2016 earlier than a cease at AZ Alkmaar.
It was at Feyenoord the place he captured the worldwide sport’s consideration, main them to the Eredivisie title in 2022/23.
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Since coming to Liverpool, he’s had a 64.6% win proportion within the Premier League – which locations him second total of all the present managers behind our very personal Pep on 71.6%.
Head-to-head file
We misplaced each Premier League conferences with Liverpool final season, as many defeats as we’d suffered in our earlier 12 towards them.
Of the 56 occasions we’ve performed within the Premier League period, Liverpool have received 23.
Nonetheless, the overwhelming majority of these have come at Anfield, with Metropolis profitable 10 and dropping simply 5 of the 28 encounters on the Etihad or Maine Street.
It’s effectively value noting that these two sides have spent a lot of Guardiola’s period immediately battling for the title, with Metropolis popping out on high on the finish of the season as a rule.
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The Etihad specifically has performed host to video games between the 2 which have been thought-about a number of the finest video games ever performed within the Premier League.
How they rating objectives
Solely Metropolis, with 20, have scored greater than Liverpool’s 18 strikes to this point this season.
That has come from a league-high quantity of photographs, 156. Slot’s facet are performing largely according to their xG at this level, which registers at 17.3, which means they have an inclination to take their probabilities at a constant price.
They’ve eight completely different goalscorers to this point, making them the fifth finest facet within the league at sharing the objectives out amongst the squad.
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With 12 strikes within the second half, together with eight within the final quarter-hour, we’ll need to preserve our wits about us proper till the very finish.
Two of their objectives have come from quick breaks, whereas they’re considered one of simply two sides but to attain a header.
Mo Salah has 9 objectives and 6 assists towards Metropolis within the Premier League – probably the most aim involvements towards us of any Premier League participant ever.
Salah stays their greatest menace to this point this season, netting 4 occasions within the league whereas Ekitike, Gravenberch and Gakpo all have three every.
Liverpool’s 14 objectives conceded places them firmly in the midst of the Premier League pack defensively.
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For instance, that’s six greater than second-best Metropolis and 11 greater than Arsenal.
Having conceded an xG of 12.4 and the thirteenth most photographs within the league, it suggests they’re struggling to maintain out efforts extra often than many different sides within the division.
Solely two groups have conceded greater than the seven set-piece strikes they’ve let in, whereas they’re seemingly extra vulnerable to conceding within the second half having let in 9 after half-time and 5 earlier than it.
With 96 fouls dedicated, they’re the fourth cleanest workforce within the division – seven fouls greater than Metropolis in high spot.
Giorgi Mamardashvili is prone to begin in aim and in his 4 appearances to this point, he’s produced a save proportion of 66.7%, placing him thirteenth of the 27 goalkeepers to have performed to this point.