Liverpool host Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday in the biggest game of the Premier League season.
Watch Liverpool vs Manchester City live
Jurgen Klopp's injury-hit side sit top of the table but head into the weekend just one point behind Manchester City.
City are on the rise under Josep Guardiola, but there is a sense of doom hanging over Liverpool in the final months before Klopp's departure.
Preview: Liverpool v Manchester City
Klopp and Guardiola have had some great tactical battles over the years, but if this were to be their last, they would do everything they could to find an advantage in their lineup.
Below is the full expected line-up for Liverpool vs. Manchester City and an analysis of the options both teams have.
Liverpool's expected lineup (4-3-3)
—- Kelleher —-
—- Bradley —- Konate —- Van Dijk —- Robertson —-
—— Shoboshlai —— Endo —— Mac Allister ——
—— Salah —— Nuñez —— Diaz ——
With Alisson out injured, Kelleher remained in goal and the Irish goalkeeper greatly enhanced his reputation as the Premier League's best number two. Defensively, the back four will be mostly self-selected, but the big decision at right-back will be between Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley, the latter of whom Liverpool will have the ball in. He is more suited to the way Klopp wants his full-backs to play when he has a . So I expected Bradley to start. Klopp plans to start Endo and Szoboszlai in midfield, which will be a big boost to give Liverpool more experience and creativity. Endo has the big job of stopping De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva from controlling the tempo of the game, while pushing Rodri and preventing him from dictating the tempo from deep. It will be Szoboszlai's job. Top-flight Salah has returned from injury and will start on the right side in an attempt to trouble City once again, but manager Klopp will definitely start with Nuñez in the center and Dias on the left. But he knows he can bring in Elliott and Gakpo if Liverpool need something a little different in attack.
Manchester City expected lineup (3-2-4-1)
——- Edelson ——-
—— Walker —— Diaz —— Ake ——
—— Stones —— Rodri ——
—- Foden —- Silva —- De Bruyne —- Doc —-
—- Harland —-
With Jack Grealish the only player out injured, City's team are pretty much picking themselves at the moment. Ederson is likely to start in goal and Guardiola will stick with the 3-2-4-1 formation he favored midway through last season, but the Spaniard also rules out anything wild with the line-up. Can not. We've been doing that in big games for years. Walker, Dias and Ake should form a back three, but the speed of Akanji and Gvardiol upset Guardiola, who moved one or both of them into a back three, as he did in big away games this season. There is a possibility that he will start at back. Stones and Rodri have continued their form so they are solid choices as the two holding midfielders, but the four in front of them are also likely to remain the same as they were last weekend. Foden on the right wing, Silva and De Bruyne flying around in the middle, of course. However, it is on the left side that Pep has a big dilemma. Doc has started there in recent weeks and has performed very well, giving City's attack a bit of a different feel. However, with Julian Alvarez coming on as a substitute and scoring Foden's second goal last weekend and scoring in midweek, the Argentine remains in the running for a starting spot in the inside-left position. Haaland will obviously start at the top.
