There’s only one Man City player who would get in the Liverpool team – here’s why I fear for them

9 hours ago 41

MANCHESTER CITY got taught a lesson against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

And it sums up the state of them currently that they’ll be going into this game against Liverpool thinking: ‘Oh my god, I hope we don’t get slapped’.

Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz celebrating a goal.

Liverpool will be looking forward to facing a struggling Manchester City side[/caption]

Pep Guardiola gesturing on the touchline.

Pep Guardiola has endured a harrowing season[/caption]

It’s been a humbling year for City and Pep Guardiola, who is probably learning more about himself during this period than anybody else.

Their struggles were cut and pasted into one 90-minute Champions League slog out in Spain on Wednesday night.

The game was over after a couple of minutes when Madrid took the lead.

Quite ironic that for all the chat of Guardiola changing the face of football and inspiring a tactical revolution with his pass-pass style, City were done by a long ball and a Kylian Mbappe lob.

Pep’s teams have shown in the past that they are capable of reacting to a result, a performance, like that – but this is not a City team of the past.

They’ve shown so many levels of vulnerability. They’ve become comfortable, soft.

It was so difficult to win the trophies they have over the years, but they also had the luxury of people being in awe of them.

Now, that awe has worn off and everyone wants to take them on.

Liverpool certainly will. For years this was THE fixture – the decider for the title. Guardiola vs Jurgen Klopp.

Two great sides going at it and it usually produced plenty of fireworks and drama.

But right now, I fear for City. I really do.

They could get done on their own patch. Will they be able to shake off that Madrid humbling and respond?

You would have to argue: probably not.

They have been well beaten by the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham already this season, but this one is going to hurt them the most if it goes the way it should.

It seems silly to say given how good City’s squad still is and how much money they have invested, but which area of the pitch are they better than this Liverpool in?

We all get excited about Ederson kicking the ball a long way, but Alisson is a better keeper.

City’s back four is not better than Liverpool’s, nor is their midfield or front three.

You would perhaps go with Erling Haaland, especially given the form of Darwin Nunez and his missed sitter in the 2-2 draw at Aston Villa.

But let’s not forget, Diogo Jota also missed a very simple chance.

But did I expect Nunez to score when he went through to an empty goal? No, I didn’t.

It would have felt like a loss at Villa Park for Liverpool, and there is a chance City may turn up and give them another bloody nose, but I wouldn’t put my own money on that.

This Liverpool, they don’t lose in the big moments.

Arsenal fans will be hoping this is the start of the ‘wobble’. Some wobble this is, eight points clear with 12 games left.

I wouldn’t have minded that sort of ‘wobble’ in my career.

They’re in a perfect position knowing that even if it gets close towards the end, Arsenal still have to go to Anfield and win.

I just don’t see how Liverpool lose the title from here, and if they do, it will make for a great f***ing column!