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JAMIE CARRAGHER and Gary Neville have given their predictions ahead of today’s huge clash between Liverpool and Manchester City.
The title rivals meet at Anfield this afternoon separated by just one point in the Premier League table.
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YOUTUBE / THE OVERLAPLiverpool are ahead of City going into the match, although both teams will have the opportunity to leapfrog Arsenal, who went top yesterday courtesy of their late 2-1 win against Brentford.
Former Kop hero Carragher, 46, believes that his old side must defeat City in order to firm up their title credentials.
Appearing on The Overlap Fan Debate, he said: “I feel as if Liverpool have to beat City at the weekend for me to sit there and go ‘I think Liverpool are going to win the league’.
“I think I will believe that if Liverpool go four points clear with 10 games to go.”
Neville, meanwhile, believes that City will “do a job” on the Reds.
The Manchester United legend said: “I think City are going to beat you [Liverpool] but I want Liverpool to win because I want the league to be opened up.
“I think City are going to win on Sunday, I think he’s going to come and put a right job in.”
City have struggled at Anfield down the years, with their only win there since 2003 coming behind closed doors during the 2020-21 season.
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Countering Neville’s opinion, Carragher pointed to that record, replying: “There’s been different City teams, have there been any better City teams than this? I don’t know.
“You go to David Silva, [Sergio] Aguero and they never came and won.
“The Anfield crowd, this Liverpool team as well you’re going to see who is available and who can play. I think missing the goalkeeper is a big miss although the young lad has been brilliant.
“Pep does have a problem at Anfield. City’s record in general, forget about Pep and this team, [Roberto] Mancini, [Manuel] Pellegrini, the record at Anfield isn’t great.”
Neville, 49, then gave an overview of how teams can win at Liverpool’s famous home.
He added: “I think at Anfield, you’re going to win it in the first half, I always thought when we played in the first half, we had to damage them and make them realise that we were a real threat.
“If you go through that first half, they grow and grow then you’ve got a problem but if you hit them, hurt them.
“I think you’ll [City] win Sunday, I don’t know why, at the moment they’re reeling with injuries, scrambling through games like you wouldn’t believe – they’re literally scruffy as hell.
“They’ve got momentum and I think Sunday will be too much for them.”
I see excellence when I face it and Pep is definitely that
Jurgen KloppAhead of what could be his final clash with Pep Guardiola, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was full of kind words for his great rival.
He said: “I do the job myself so I see excellence when I face it and Pep is definitely that.
“The way he has influenced football, winning the amount of trophies he was won in his career.
“But if you see him on the touchline he behaves like he has never won before. The desire he has is absolutely outstanding.
“In my lifetime he is the outstanding manager, definitely.”
Guardiola, meanwhile, admitted that he’d love to meet up with the German.
Asked if they’d spent any time together, he said: “Sometimes in the corridor before the press conference.
“When we were honoured to get in the Hall of Fame we spent time with families, but in terms of lunch or dinners, it never happened. We have to decide who pays, that’s why we didn’t do it.
“I think it’s going to happen sooner or later, I would love it.”
Reuters
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