It doesn’t get any bigger than this.
The best two teams of the past seven seasons. Two great managers, one aiming for a fairytale ending, the other aiming for an impossible dream.
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Although they are one point apart in the table, there is an ideological divide and with 10 games remaining, Sunday’s clash between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield could be a title decider.
In such heavyweight bouts, a decisive psychological blow settles the winner and leaves the loser struggling to recover.
On the other hand, in the event of a draw, it could go to third-placed Arsenal, who are one point behind second-placed City.
This three-horse race is even more fascinating because it was unexpected.
City won the treble in the 2022-23 season and were the pre-season favorites, considered one class above the other teams.
It was expected to be a transition season for Liverpool as they look to rebuild after losing key players Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Bobby Firmino.
A return to the top four would have been considered a decent season.
Meanwhile, Arsenal still lack a natural opponent up front, although Declan Rice has strengthened their midfield.
And last season’s instability raised questions about their mental strength.
No one else seemed like a serious candidate.
Newcastle were found to be unable to spend their new wealth due to Financial Fair Play rules.
Aston Villa had improved but were still not there, with Spurs now in bed under a new manager without their talisman Harry Kane.
Chelsea were a veritable £1bn mess.
The only question for the City was whether the hunger remained.
Were these superstars dissatisfied with all that silverware, and could Pep Guardiola revive another season of frenzy from the dugout?
And if they were all still going to work on it, an additional burden of history was on their shoulders.
Since the league was founded in 1888, no club has ever won four consecutive titles, let alone the Premier League since 1992.
The summer departures of captain Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez, not to mention Cole Palmer, were seen as weakening the team with their replacements not up to the same standard.
Then, in the first game of the season, Kevin De Bruyne limped off with a hamstring injury and will be out until January.
Also, Erling Haaland, who took a mid-season break during the 2022 World Cup, had a good appetite after returning, but was forced to miss two months due to injury.
But they could do business as usual in both the Premier League and Champions League without their two best players – that’s their depth.
However, the return of the two injured players was timely as it provides an extra turbocharge for the long season at home.
Phil Foden has also stepped up to match them.
He is still involved in the three competitions he won last season, and talk of another treble is growing.
And the way they dominated Manchester United last week underlined their class.
A match against FC Copenhagen soon followed and they advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the seventh year in a row.
Despite De Bruyne being rested, they became the first English club to win 10 games in a row.
Interestingly, Haaland played in the match and remained on the field long after the result was deserved.
Unnecessary risk? “No, he needs to find his rhythm,” Pep said ominously.
Now, he’ll find another goal, which will help him overcome his missed season against United.
At Anfield, we need to have the right attack against Virgil van Dijk, the best centre-back in the world. It’s just one of many important battles.
The home side’s big hopes are that Mo Salah, who missed four games with a hamstring injury, will play a role since his early return from the Afcon.
Speaking before departing for the Europa League game in Prague, manager Jurgen Klopp said: But we have to be careful with him. ”
How could Liverpool have capitalized on his incredible goal against City a few seasons ago!
But Salah’s mere presence could tip the scales against City, who are still managing to do without a recognized left-back.
Another potential weakness is long balls that go over the top. This is what Andre Onana supplied to set up Marcus Rashford’s Thunderbolts last weekend.
Barring any further disaster against Sparta Prague, Klopp should have one or two more familiar faces at his disposal on Sunday.
Yes, the kids did great, but no one can expect them to continue competing until the end of the season.
Klopp will be keen to get Dominik Szoboszlai back to win the ball, even if one or two gems are discovered, particularly Conor Bradley and Jaden Dunnes.
City’s midfield will likely dominate possession, but the Reds are the team most capable of catching them on the break.
All the ingredients are in place for a cracking contest to erase memories of the damp squib of November’s 1-1 draw at the Etihad. The early kick-off spoiled the atmosphere.
Yes, we talked about that too, but this is much closer to the climax and later in the day (11:45pm).
The competition for the top three is similar, with Liverpool having fewer games in the top six.
If they can field a near-full-strength squad soon, they will feel they can say goodbye to Klopp and the Reds’ faithful covets.
But if City win at Anfield, it will be hard to stop them from giving Guardiola a piece of history that means so much to him. Guardiola is the first manager to win the title four years in a row.
Don’t go anywhere on Sunday night.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of FMT.