Pep Guardiola has named three Liverpool players who he believes could pose a threat to his Manchester City side in today’s Premier League clash.
The top two go head-to-head at the Etihad Stadium at 12:30, and the champions’ manager is wary of the damage that the Reds’ forward line could cause to his team.
Speaking in his pre-game press conference on Friday, the 52-year-old said (via Man City on YouTube): “The way we play, for them it’s good because of the transitions. They have a lot of space in behind.
“They make incredible runs with [Luis] Diaz, with [Darwin] Nunez, with [Mo] Salah. They are a fantastic team, a top side, no doubt.”
The trio namechecked by Guardiola already have 23 goals between them this season (Transfermarkt), so he’s right to be fearful of what the Liverpool front three could do to City’s defence.
Whether Diaz and/or Nunez will start is unclear, given that they only arrived back from World Cup qualifying action in South America in midweek.
Even if Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo are selected in place of that duo, though, they could also cause havoc if the Man City backline leave enough space for the Reds to exploit. The home side are bound to push forward in search of victory, so that could be a potential chink in the armour for Klopp to pounce upon today.
You can view Guardiola’s comments below (from 8:18), via Man City on YouTube: