Manchester City arrive at Anfield this Sunday as Premier League leaders, but with the first competitive examination of Enzo Maresca’s tenure now shadowed by one of the most testing weeks in the club’s recent history.
Maresca’s side go into Gameweek 6 unbeaten, sitting first in the table on 15 points from five straight wins, a start good enough to leave them three points and four goals clear of second-placed Arsenal heading into the weekend.
Yet the mood around the Etihad has shifted sharply. The trip to Merseyside marks City’s first fixture since the club was found guilty in its long-running financial rules case with the Premier League.
Maresca used his pre-match media duties to project calm rather than crisis. “Personally, I’m very calm to be honest,” the Italian said, adding that the squad “trust completely the club” as they turn their focus back to football.
Shearer predicts a defeat for City at Anfield
Former England striker Alan Shearer, however, believes the circumstances swirling around City could work in Liverpool’s favour rather than City’s. Previewing the game.
He said: “This is a huge game. Liverpool are coming into this one with a few injuries off the back of the international break, but City have injury doubts with Haaland as well after he came off for Norway.”
“I don’t think City have got a great record there at Anfield. So, I’m going to go home win for Liverpool in what will be a red-hot atmosphere.”
Shearer went further on the atmosphere he expects from the Reds, predicting the reception will be shaped as much by events off the pitch as by the match itself.
“You can just imagine how the fans will be at Anfield. I know all eyes are going to be on the game for obvious reasons. I said it would be red hot, it will be white hot, I think, in terms of how they’re going to react to the situation that City are going through off the pitch. It’s going to be a cracking game, and cracking atmosphere.”
Haaland cleared to lead the line
Shearer’s comments were made before City resolved the uncertainty over their talisman. Erling Haaland had been a doubt after limping out of Norway’s defeat by Portugal during the international break, but Maresca has since confirmed the Norwegian is fully fit for Anfield.
“He’s good… He’s ready for Anfield,” the City boss told reporters, explaining that Haaland had used the days off to rest and recover in Marbella.
Haaland’s return to full fitness is a significant boost given his record against Liverpool. The striker has scored eight goals against Liverpool in his career, though only one of those has arrived at Anfield itself.
Indeed, City have won just three of their 29 Premier League visits to Anfield since 1992, a statistic Shearer referenced in backing the hosts.
Maresca does not have a fully fit squad to choose from. Antoine Semenyo and Nico O’Reilly are both carrying knocks, while Phil Foden remains suspended following his red card in the Manchester derby.
