Over the next six weeks, Liverpool and Manchester City will go head-to-head in a battle for three trophies. The Reds are already on Aymeric Laporte’s mind.
There are a number of storylines that will be played out over the course of the rest of the season — a period that will fly by with so many fixtures coming in from all sides — but few, if any, will be more important than Liverpool vs Manchester City.
There are three major trophies to be won from this point forward in the campaign. Both Jürgen Klopp’s and Pep Guardiola’s teams will fancy their chances of winning each of them, but there is one major hurdle to overcome:
Each season, only one team can win each tournament. The match between the sides at the Etihad Stadium on April 10 appears to be the one that will decide the Premier League title race, while the teams meet in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley the following weekend.
With Liverpool and Manchester City on opposite sides of the Champions League draw, a Liverpool vs Manchester City final in Europe is a foregone conclusion, with the game taking place in Paris on the final weekend in May.
One team could win everything, and the prizes could be distributed evenly. In two of the three competitions, a shock could occur, and neither team could win — though the league title will undoubtedly be won by one of the two teams in nine games.
The truth is that while both Liverpool and Manchester City are deserving of the title at the end of the season, only one can win it — with razor-thin margins deciding which way the pendulum swings.
“No one else in the world plays football like we do,” the Spaniard said. “We’re a model of how to play good football and be superior in every way.” I believe [Liverpool] would enjoy being a part of our game.
“As for us having some of them, we should take more chances and benefit from our opponents’ mistakes, because we often have the chance but don’t take it. The other team was let off the hook. However, there is nothing to be envious of.”
He doesn’t lack confidence, even if, despite stating in the same interview that he is different from most footballers because he doesn’t lie, Manchester City must surely desire that ruthless edge. They’re doing fine without it, but if they don’t win everything this season, that will be the obvious explanation. No one else in the world plays football like we do “”Says the Spaniard.”
“We’re a model of how to play good football and be superior in every way.” I believe [Liverpool] would enjoy being a part of our game.
“As for us having some of them, we should take more chances and benefit more from our opponents’ mistakes, because we often have the opportunity and don’t take it.” The other team was let off the hook. “However, there’s nothing to envy.”
He doesn’t lack confidence, even if, despite stating in the same interview that he is different from most footballers because he doesn’t lie, Manchester City must surely desire that ruthless edge.
They’re doing fine without it, but if they don’t win everything this season, that will be the obvious explanation. In terms of being’superior’ to Liverpool ‘in all areas,’ the rest of the season could make that claim look foolish.
Even if Laporte refuses to accept it, the fact that Liverpool takes more chances than his team shows that it is something they consider.
While the Reds focus on themselves, Manchester City appear to have one eye on their rivals, as Pep Guardiola did when he was worried about the Liverpool front three during a game against Everton at Goodison Park. That’s exactly how Klopp and his teammates want it.
Manchester City’s and Liverpool’s styles will not change. Because of the ridiculously high standard of their biggest sporting rivals: each other, both can win either everything left to play for or nothing this season. But when it comes to the end of the season, when only results matter, Laporte knows, even if he couldn’t admit it, that Liverpool might have the upper hand.
The Reds haven’t played particularly well in recent games against Norwich City, West Ham United, Inter Milan, Arsenal, or Nottingham Forest, but the important thing to remember is that they got the result they needed.
If you do it 13 more times this season, there will be a bus parade through Liverpool’s streets, with adoring fans applauding the unprecedented.
