Man City And Liverpool Become Hunters - How Key Is Etihad Meeting?

Manchester City head Pep Guardiola described gathering Liverpool successful his 1,000th crippled arsenic a head arsenic "the destiny of nan universe" aft their shared domination of English shot successful caller years.

The past 8 Premier League titles person gone to nan 2 superpowers, pinch City claiming nan crown six times successful that period, including a historical series of 4 successful a row.

City and Liverpool meet astatine Etihad Stadium connected Sunday (16:30 GMT) pinch nan anticipation that their Premier League destiny this play will beryllium heavy shaped by nan outcome.

To adhd a twist to nan tale, these 2 long-time Premier League pace-setters now shape portion of a chasing pack.

Arsenal person had their noses pressed against nan model successful nan look of City and Liverpool's superiority successful caller years but, for now astatine least, nan Gunners are nan hunted alternatively than nan hunters.

Mikel Arteta's convention leaders could person been 9 points clear of Pep Guardiola's broadside and 10 up of Liverpool had they not dropped 2 precocious points astatine Sunderland connected Saturday night, Brian Brobbey's stoppage-time equaliser giving nan Black Cats a 2-2 draw.

Title margins successful astir caller seasons person been truthful good that had Arsenal won, nan losing squad connected Sunday, if location is one, whitethorn person been near to bespeak that nan title was starting to get distant from them, moreover aft only 11 games.

Now, nan doorway is ajar.

Arsenal's advantage was starting to look highly important until nan 94th infinitesimal astatine Sunderland, because thing much than a 10-point lead successful nan Premier League has only been mislaid 3 times.

It would person been excessively early to disregard teams of nan value of Manchester City and Liverpool, particularly arsenic some are showing signs of returning to their formidable champion aft stumbles earlier this season.

Now, if anything, Arsenal's precocious concession astatine nan Stadium of Light has upped nan ante moreover further earlier this latest conflict betwixt City and Liverpool.

In Liverpool, Guardiola has nan 1 force he has recovered it difficult to maestro - first nether Jurgen Klopp and past Arne Slot, whose title winners did nan double complete him past season.

Guardiola has managed City successful 18 Premier League games against Liverpool, winning only five, drafting 7 and losing six. In each competitions he has played 24, won six, drawn 8 and mislaid 10.

The erstwhile Barcelona and Bayern Munich leader knows what is riding connected nan latest confrontation, pinch Arsenal's excellence adding to nan pressure.

Guardiola reflected connected nan pursuit that City face, saying: "Always you expect that you tin beryllium amended and they will driblet points. All we tin do is triumph our games and get closer."

Guardiola knew Arsenal were building a squad tin of chasing a championship. He is waiting to spot whether they person nan stamina to support up their accelerated start.

"The past 2 aliases 3 years, aft nan process to rebuild nan nine and nan team, Arsenal are there. It is exceptional what they are doing for 2 aliases 3 seasons," Guardiola said.

"But it is early November. Nobody wins nan title successful early November. You tin suffer it - but cipher wins it.

"I cognize really quickly things change. One week agone it was Liverpool 'disaster, disaster' and now they triumph 2 and it's 'are they backmost to their best?'

"I'm judge nan managers return a small spot much position of nan situation.

"Always successful a play location are ups and down."

Liverpool caput coach Slot is arsenic convinced location tin beryllium twists and turns successful nan title race, but nan value of this crippled cannot beryllium escaped aliases underestimated.

Slot said: "At nan moment, it's not astir looking astatine nan convention table. It's conscionable trying to triumph arsenic galore games arsenic you tin and springiness yourself nan champion position you can.

"But decidedly 2 very bully teams are going to play against each different and what nan early will bring, we will see.

"Our only attraction is ourselves. We person to get accordant improvement, get players fresh and past spot wherever it leads to.

"City is simply a crippled connected its own. Playing distant from location against them is 1 of nan astir difficult challenges we person passim nan season. These are nan games everyone looks guardant to."

Slot's return to his title-winning midfield of Ryan Gravenberch, Alex Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai has fixed Liverpool a much familiar, winning look successful their past 2 games against Aston Villa and Real Madrid, pinch Hungarian Szoboszlai a cardinal figure.

"Dominik has been outstanding passim nan season," said Slot, "but nan past 2 games brought moreover much retired of nan squad and him. I really for illustration his activity without nan ball, but successful these games it was astir apt moreover supra his ain precocious standards."

If Liverpool tin triumph nan midfield conflict astatine Etihad Stadium, they will judge they tin flourish – but an improving Manchester City will consciousness arsenic confident.

The shape is group for nan latest titanic battle.

Erling Haaland scored his 27th extremity of nan play for nine and state successful City's 4-1 triumph against his erstwhile nine Borussia Dortmund successful nan Champions League connected Wednesday.

It has been a singular tally of form, moreover by nan standards of arguably nan astir deadly striker successful world football.

The irresistible unit meets nan immovable entity erstwhile Haaland comes up against Virgil van Dijk connected Sunday. This is nan individual duel that will spell a agelong measurement to deciding nan destiny of nan points.

Norwegian Haaland will beryllium wished to yet extremity his uncharacteristically indifferent grounds against Liverpool's Dutch captain.

Since joining City successful July 2022, Haaland has started 5 games against Van Dijk and is still seeking his first win, pinch 3 defeats and 2 draws. The Norwegian's only triumph against Liverpool came successful nan League Cup 4th information successful December 2022, erstwhile he scored successful a 3-2 triumph, but Van Dijk did not play.

Former Liverpool and England defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Sport: "If you look for cardinal areas wherever nan crippled will beryllium won and lost, from Liverpool's constituent of position it will beryllium stopping Haaland, but nan cardinal to that will each travel from nan midfield area, and stopping nan balls done to him.

"It will beryllium astir whether Liverpool's midfield tin property City arsenic difficult arsenic they did Aston Villa and Real Madrid."

Warnock added: "Much of immoderate conflict betwixt Van Dijk and Haaland will dangle connected nan work Haaland gets, and past it will beryllium betwixt Van Dijk and [Ibrahima] Konate to extremity him. It is up to Haaland who his main force will be, anyway. If he plays connected Konate past location is thing Van Dijk tin do, and vice versa.

"The main point Liverpool person to do is effort to extremity nan passes astatine root and forestall nan balls being played into him. It will beryllium down to Liverpool's midfielders to forestall City's imaginative players picking their heads up, for illustration Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki were doing against Bournemouth past weekend, and playing those passes."

Former England striker Chris Sutton believes individual pridefulness will besides substance nan confrontation betwixt Haaland and Van Dijk.

"It will beryllium fascinating," says Sutton. "Van Dijk will person that benignant of pridefulness wherever he will beryllium wished to get nan amended of Haaland, because Liverpool's backline has travel successful for a batch of criticism.

"Of course, Liverpool are tin of keeping Haaland quiet - they conscionable did nan aforesaid to a Real Madrid frontline including Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior - but I would return Haaland complete immoderate of their attackers astatine nan moment, truthful this is nan eventual trial for Van Dijk."