da dobrowin： While Jurgen Klopp will only be interested in progression to the next round, Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final clash with Manchester City serves a dual purpose. Indeed, the biggest question in the Premier League right now isn’t who will win the title or even deserves to finish second; it’s who, if anybody, is capable of truly competing with Pep Guardiola’s stunning side next season.
da bwin： Currently, Manchester United and Liverpool are the leading candidates. While the Red Devils are second in the table, the Merseysiders are still the only team to beat City in the Premier League this term – that emphatic 4-3 victory at Anfield back in January when they proved they can press and attack with the same velocity, incisiveness and ferociousness as their Wednesday night opponents.
But whether that was a freak result, a rare bad day for City amid the absence of their metronome David Silva and upon a frustrating night for Raheem Sterling who appeared overawed upon his return to Anfield, remains to be seen. Those two players have been at the heart of City’s most dominant displays this season and will be back on Wednesday night, as will captain Vincent Kompany who wasn’t even fit enough for a spot on the bench last time.
Indeed, while nothing can be taken away from Liverpool’s performance and result in January, City will be at greater, practically full strength this time around, Sergio Aguero being the only exception. Add to the equation the sheer gravity of the situation, and this is a much bigger test than Liverpool’s last meeting with City – a win wouldn’t be so much a repeat result, more an improvement on their previous grade.
Of course, the Premier League title doesn’t rest on who performs best in the six-point contests alone. The teams outside of the top six have hardly left a mark on City this season – Everton, Crystal Palace and Burnley are the only sides to take points from them – and Liverpool will have to find a way of being as consistent against that level of opposition too.
The Reds have notably improved in that regard compared to the soft-underbelly-criticisms of previous campaigns and in Mohamed Salah they boast a dependable match-winner as he proved against Crystal Palace at the weekend, but there have still been too many draws this term; overall, Liverpool have dropped 13 points to non-top-six sides, more than twice as much as City.
The other factor is, of course, the fact every major club in the Premier League will recognise the need to seriously strengthen this summer – starting with United. Should City beat United to clinch the title this Saturday, the humbling experience will only improve Jose Mourinho’s hand as he demands a blank cheque from Ed Woodward. Likewise, Chelsea appear due a real shakeup starting with the dugout – who knows quite what they’ll look like next season – and Tottenham’s young side will naturally improve once again, but could be further boosted by a few smart signings.
Nonetheless, when there’s so much talent available to the Premier League’s flagship clubs, the psychological edge can often be the difference and more than anything else, that’s what Wednesday’s showdown represents for Liverpool – the chance to prove they can consistently get the better of City, to chip away at that aura of invincibility, to claim the upper hand in the ongoing mental battle. While that’s obviously a long-term factor in deciding silverware, it can have an impact in the short-term next season too; although it didn’t quite happen this year, beating City upon their every trip to Anfield could send Guardiola’s team into something of a tailspin.
No doubt, plenty will change between now and the start of next season. But whereas United started the campaign in top gear and have since reduced to something of a quick-paced jog, Liverpool have grown in strength as the season’s gone on – particularly since the arrival of Virgil van Dijk, they now look more like a title-winning side than they ever have under Klopp.
While the Champions League title will likely prove beyond Liverpool this season, a win over City on Wednesday will be represent a recognition of their title credentials ahead of United’s, and give them vital momentum to carry into 2018/19.
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