Analysis: Five areas where Man City v Liverpool will be won and lost

Football writer Adrian Clarke identifies the key players, team tactics and where matches could be won and lost in Matchweek 11.

Match analysis: Manchester City v Liverpool

Key battle: Haaland v Van Dijk 

Erling Haaland is virtually unplayable at the moment, scoring in all but two matches for club and country this season, registering 27 goals in 17 appearances.  

In the Premier League his 13 goals have come at a rate of one every 66 minutes, with a conversion rate of 31.7 per cent.  

Frighteningly, the Man City striker is scoring a goal once every 17.6 touches.  

Putting that into context, Liverpool’s centre-forward Hugo Ekitike, who has had just 12 fewer touches than Haaland, is scoring once every 72.3 touches.  

Haaland is the man Liverpool must stop.  

Arne Slot’s back four cannot afford to be pulled apart or dragged out of position.  

They will want to press Man City, which means squeezing up, but Virgil van Dijk or Ibrahima Konate must not be dragged towards the ball like AFC Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi was last weekend (below) when Haaland was allowed to run clean through from his own half and score the opening goal.

Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson must also try to tuck in alongside Van Dijk when City attack, and the same applies to right-back Conor Bradley and Konate on the other side.  

When Haaland scored his second goal last weekend (below), Bournemouth full-back Adrien Truffert was too wide and got distracted by Matheus Nunes when playing Haaland onside.

Van Dijk will feel confident he can handle Haaland though.  

The Dutchman is strong enough to handle the Norwegian’s physicality, and although not as quick as the 25-year-old, Liverpool’s captain is no slouch across the turf.  

Watch Haaland running at Van Dijk in 2023/24

Van Dijk and co will also take confidence from past meetings.  

Haaland has scored just once in four Premier League outings against Liverpool, who have marshalled him well in previous fixtures.  

When you study Haaland’s numbers against the champions it appears he might be human after all.

His figures are extremely modest when compared with his record against the other 22 top-flight sides he has faced, so the City forward would love to buck this particular trend on Sunday.  

Haaland v Liverpool compared with other PL clubs

Will Szoboszlai rise to the occasion again? 

Dominik Szoboszlai has been excelling in a variety of positions and has been Liverpool’s best player this season.

He often saves his best displays for the big occasion, scoring a 30-yard wonder goal against Arsenal earlier this season and curling a gorgeous free-kick onto the head of Alexis Mac Allister for Liverpool’s winner against Real Madrid in midweek.

Whenever he stands over a set-piece, City will be nervous at the Etihad Stadium.

Szoboszlai has been recently reinstated into the No 10 role and is playing with enough quality and confidence to make a big impression against City.

The Hungarian was excellent in this fixture last season, assisting Mohamed Salah from a corner before scoring himself.  

Highlights of Man City 0-2 Liverpool 2024/25

Szoboszlai will certainly offer a final-third threat, as he has hit the target with five shots from outside the box this season, while creating 16 chances.

But it is his industry as a presser which could be even more decisive on Sunday.

Szoboszlai is an underrated ball-winner who presses with conviction, just as he showed against Aston Villa before missing a gilt-edged chance to score from this turnover below.

Szoboszlai’s numbers when it comes to winning possession and tackles are the best of any player on either side.

So, when the champions engage in a press, keep your eye on Szoboszlai and who he targets with the press.  

Liverpool and Man City's defensive stats leaders 24/25

The benefits of City inverting their wingers 

Pep Guardiola sprung a surprise tactic against Bournemouth when tucking Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki inside as inverted wingers.

Doku, who usually hugs the touchline, was unusually central, while Cherki made two assists from positions in the middle of the pitch.

These heat maps show where they featured.

Will Guardiola do the same against Liverpool? Possibly.

Their presence infield will draw some of the focus away from Haaland, as we saw when centre-back Senesi got dragged towards Cherki for the opening goal last weekend.

Slot would want his central midfielders, Ryan Gravenberch and Mac Allister, to chaperone a player like Doku on the inside.

However, on occasion right-back Bradley, so impressive against Real Madrid, may get pulled infield to mark him man-to-man.

This would be a problem for Liverpool as it would leave Salah isolated in a 1v1 with left-back Nico O’Reilly.

If the Egyptian does not track his man, there could be enormous space for O'Reilly to surge into down City’s left flank.  

This is the scenario Guardiola’s men will want to recreate (below), with Everton’s right-back drawn infield and winger Iliman Ndiaye losing focus.

From this attack O’Reilly crossed for Haaland to head home, and City will want to test Salah in a similar situation.  

Slot’s selection dilemma

Slot’s main selection dilemma could be over who he starts on the left of Liverpool’s attack.

Cody Gakpo has started nine of 10 Premier League games in that role but, with Szoboszlai preferred in midfield, the Reds manager has begun to experiment with big-money signing Florian Wirtz in that position.

The German has not scored or assisted in the Premier League yet, while Gakpo has netted three times and set up another two goals.

But against Madrid, Wirtz was superb off the left, creating a game-high five chances.

With Gakpo’s play sometimes a little predictable, Slot may consider the more varied movement of Wirtz, as shown below against Real Madrid - in what is likely to be a tactical contest.  

Will Pep go long?

After Liverpool's recent defeat at Brentford, Slot admitted he had “no answers” to teams who set up in a low block before hitting long balls over the top against them.

Considering those comments, and with Haaland borderline unstoppable in those situations, will City consider playing direct on Sunday?

They did set up very defensively in their 1-1 draw at Arsenal earlier this season, proving that Guardiola will compromise his principles on occasions.  

That day they recorded their lowest ever possession average under Guardiola in a top-flight league game, with just 33.2 per cent, absorbing a lot of pressure.

A repeat of that ploy may work against Liverpool, but we have never seen City adopt that tactic on home turf.

They have also hit the fewest long passes of all 20 sides so far this season, so it would go against their style. 

Fewest long passes in 2025/26 

With Guardiola perhaps more flexible now than ever before with his tactics, could an element of surprise catch Liverpool off guard? 

We must wait and see, but whatever happens, this is a hugely important contest for both clubs, packed with tactical intrigue.