Liverpool were on top form on Thursday evening, sweeping aside Sparta Prague 5-1 in their Europa League Round of 16 first-leg clash.
Attention now quickly turns back to this Sunday’s huge Premier League clash with Manchester City, which could decide which side goes on to win the title.
The Reds boast a strong record at Anfield against the Sky Blues and will fancy their chances of victory even more following the return of Mohamed Salah heading into this encounter.
Looking ahead to this pivotal fixture while discussing yesterday’s European success, four Liverpool supporters have shared their views as part of a weekly ECHO fan column.
A recurring school of thought from the start of the year has been that all roads lead to Manchester City. Well I guess we’re at the end of the road, aren’t we? It’s finally crunch time and Anfield will be absolutely rocking as the Reds take to the field on Sunday at 3.45pm. It might not be the defining moment we all think, but it’s safe to say that showdowns don’t come much bigger.
Considering recent injuries and form, I think the attacking line will pick itself after our brilliant away victory against Sparta Prague. It feels like Mohamed Salah was never going to miss this game, Darwin Nunez is at his best since he first pulled on the Liverpool shirt, meanwhile Luis Diaz has been a vital and consistent threat amid all the recent changes in the squad. Mac Allister is another player who has quietly become crucial towards getting Liverpool over the line during tricky and testing moments.
We’re a squad brimming with heart and soul, that’s been a defining factor in our resilience through testing times of late. I just hope we can make it all count this weekend. Bring on the ale, bring on your 115 charges FC, up the mighty, top of the league Reds!
It is upon us. The deep breath before the plunge. The one game to rule them all. Perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but the game against Manchester City on Sunday could determine the destiny of the Premier League title.
If we win, we place ourselves in great shape for the final march of the season; if we lose, can Manchester City be stopped?
Discard any views that you may have that a point would be salutary on Sunday. Rather than being conciliatory on Sunday, we must be aggressive. Rather than accepting one point, we must grasp all three.
Darwin Nunez could well be the key to unlocking the Manchester City defence. In a similar way to Tyson Fury’s unorthodox style in the boxing ring, Nunez has the ability to upset his opponent’s balance with his unpredictability.
After hurdling like a greyhound over obstacles to get pitchside at Wembley, Nunez has returned from injury in fine from, with a breathtaking last-gasp goal against Nottingham Forest and a fiery double against Sparta Prague.
There have been many questions about whether Liverpool have what it takes this year to overcome the formidable City charge. We may have our answer on Sunday.
This time last year, we were coming down from the 7-0 high at Manchester United’s expense and running headlong into a 1-0 loss on the south coast at Bournemouth. I can’t say those six days summed up our season, but they were pretty close. The bottom line is, there’s much to forget about last season.
Given the roller coaster we all went through last year, it’s hard not to be excited about what this current squad is doing. But the ripples from the season can still be felt.
A 5-1 demolition job in Prague means that rich vein of form found even as the squad remains cobbled together continues. The silver linings of the big win in Prague is that Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah are back to some modicum of fitness, and we can afford to rest some players for next week’s return leg.
Manchester City are on the horizon, however, and fans would be lying if they walked around indifferent about the match. Sure, there’s more of the season to go, and dropping points won’t be the end of the world, but it’ll make matters worse. A win, though, in front of the cauldron that is Anfield, and more of those capillary waves disappear.
Sunday’s Anfield meeting with Manchester City is just the kind of day we are after. High stakes. Highly charged. High quality. Potentially, the final clash between Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s City. Quite the ingredients and quite the cauldron.
It will be a challenge, that hardly needs saying. Liverpool, encouragingly, have risen to so many in recent times. Balance, familiarly, will be crucial. Find the right moments to bide our time, to be patient, hit those crescendos, and we’ve got the tools to win.
Starting this weekend top of the Premier League, even if Arsenal could lead when we kick-off, is pleasing. That context only enhanced Darwin Núñez’s wonderfully-timed winner at Nottingham Forest last Saturday. Thursday’s 5-1 Europa League first-leg success at Sparta Prague, meanwhile, offered further encouraging signs.
After Sunday, ourselves, City and the Gunners won’t return to Premier League action for three weeks – when we host Brighton and Hove Albion and Arsenal travel to the Etihad – leaving plenty of time for talk. As ever, though, maximising the usefulness of Sunday’s match come the season’s conclusion will be the key.
These really are the days. Let’s make Sunday one of the best – and a platform for more.