There is no denying that Guardiola’s side are in a major rut at the moment with their last win coming against the bottom of the Premier League Southampton over a month ago. 5 losses on the bounce and now a complete collapse against Feyenoord in the Champions League is a worrying sign for the Spaniard who is used to perfection at every club he has managed.
However, this weekend is a huge chance for Guardiola to redeem himself against the league leaders who look to be running away with it at the moment with Arne Slot’s men being 7 points clear of the champions. This game may be at Anfield in front of a crowd who brushed off Real Madrid this week but if there is any team to break Liverpool’s form it is a City side desperate for a win.
Slot’s team has lost just once this season against Nottingham Forest in a dire 1-0 result which was also at Anfield which proves that this Liverpool side are not impenetrable and can be defeated despite their home advantage. There is no doubt that Guardiola will be looking to win the league once again this year, but if he does not earn 3 points his side could drop down to 5th place.
This is due to the fact that Arsenal, and Chelsea are hot on the heels, a win for any of these sides would displace City and knock the wind out of their title hopes which look to be slowly fading after each week of underwhelming results. Unlike Arsenal’s recent injury crisis, there is no legitimate excuse for Guardiola’s side to perform like they are, and points more to how reliant they were on Rodri’s presence in the side.
The Ballon d'Or winner tore his ACL early on in the season but City did persevere and went unbeaten until their EFL Cup exit against Tottenham at the end of October. This was the start of their losing streak, not when Rodri was forced out of action but merely a month ago leaving many scratching their heads as to why such an elite side has crumbled so much under one of the world’s best coaches.
Facing Liverpool is a double-edged sword for Guardiola. On one hand, he is facing the best in Europe at the moment whilst in the worst form of his career, but the game is also an opportunity to beat the best and prove that his side are worthy of being title challengers this season.
Guardiola’s poor form may be flipped on its head in a battle between England’s two most competitive sides in recent years especially after Slot’s team were exhausted after the Madrid game. Both Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate limped at the end of the affair which will delight Erling Haaland after his brace against Feyenoord in midweek.
A win is imperative for City, the Christmas break may not have come just yet but allowing Liverpool to go 11 points clear of them would be a nightmare for a side who have won 4 Premier League titles in a row. At the moment a fifth looks unlikely although a victory on Sunday would add fuel to the fire and heat up a title race that has been ever-present between these two teams for over 8 years now.
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