Man City need to embrace new role against Liverpool

Manchester City will step out at the Etihad for the first time in 2019 in an alien position.

They may remain favourites with the bookies for the 90 minutes but, for the first time arguably since Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge, there are doubts over their ability to win.

Considering there was still belief trailing 3-0 in the Champions League back in April, and that the Blues were still favourites for this game until about a fortnight ago, the balance of power has shifted quickly and significantly.

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Jurgen Klopp’s team rose to the occasion as City wilted last month, and head to Manchester bearing few signs of weakness. This puts City in the position that Liverpool were in when they welcomed the league leaders to Anfield last season.

Inflicting the first Premier League defeat of the season on Guardiola’s City ultimately didn’t mean anything for the title race, but that was down to the champions-elect. In winning that game 4-3, Liverpool challenged City to react to something they were not used to. The response? Eight wins in the next nine games that saw the trophy decided.

City can’t stop Liverpool winning the league this season. Even if Klopp’s team suffer defeat on Thursday, they have enough of a lead to see off the challenge of any other team. What City can do, though, is introduce the idea of doubt with a victory.

Confidence has been growing in a talented camp at Anfield as they have cleared a number of hurdles and emerged as the best team over 20 games, but they still do not know what it takes to win the title.

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Following the City test, the Merseysiders head to Brighton away before games with Crystal Palace and Leicester – two teams that upset the defending champions either side of Christmas.

For Guardiola’s side meanwhile, a team that has struggled for confidence and belief recently would be boosted enormously if they are able to return an overdue favour and inflict a first defeat of the season.

If the Blues can embrace their new position where their supremacy is no longer assured and expected, Liverpool will not face a greater test of their newly established place.