We are closing in on yet another enthralling edition of Liverpool versus Manchester City in the Premier League.
Both sides come into this fixture riding positive waves of momentum and Arne Slot and Co. will be eager to build on their big win over Real Madrid. To do that, however, Liverpool will need to find a way to nullify the array of stars that make City such a formidable force.
With that in mind, let's take a look at some City players that the Reds must account for if they want a positive result on Sunday.
Phil Foden
I could very well have put Rayan Cherki in this spot, but we are going with Foden as he appears to be back to his true scintillating best which is bad news for the rest of the league.
He can score from anywhere and he can create for others as his four goals and three assist across all comps thus far this season displays. He will be a handful for someone like Ryan Gravenberch to handle as the Dutchman is going to be key for Slot's plans of slowing down the England star.
Foden will carry at the Reds defense without hesitation and the lads will need to be razor sharp whenever he picks up the ball in the final third.
Foden will likely be deployed as the No. 10 for Pep Guardiola and if Liverpool can give him a rough day, that could mean the entire City attack is severely hampered.
Erling Haaland
This might be the most obvious choice ever, but yet it must be mentioned as he is one of, if not the most, in-form strikers in the world right now.
In the past, Liverpool have proven capable of shutting down the big Norwegian, regardless of what kind of form he was in. Having said that, while it has improved in the last week, the Reds have not shown their usual defensive pedigree this season.
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate in particular will be crucial as they are some of few players at Slot's disposal that could legitimately withstand the physicality that Haaland brings to the game.
Most of City's attacking mindset is "Get the ball to Erling". That's more than fair enough, but it does make them a little more predictable than one would think at first. Take away their towering talisman, and the danger suddenly becomes a lot more manageable.
It will be a group effort to slow him down on Sunday, but the task is not impossible. Difficult, yes, but not impossible.
Nico O’Reilly
The 20-year old Englishman has burst onto the scene in recent times as he has seemingly made Man City's left-back role his own.
He already has a goal and two assists in his short action, but he could be an underrated problem on Sunday.
Yes, Mohamed Salah will ideally make his life a nightmare, but if the Egyptian fails to track back and cover for the right side, O'Reilly could very well cause some damage in this one. He has quickly built a nice niche within their system and he is a player that Liverpool cannot overlook in this one.
He has a versatility to his game that means he could pop up in unusual spots for a fullback, not unlike what we saw from Milos Kerkez at Bournemouth last season.
He could link up with several options down the left flank to challenge the Reds stability and cohesiveness in dealing with overlaps time and again. Keep your eyes on this lad if he does start on Sunday.
Jérémy Doku
The Belgian is one of the most electric players on the ball in the Premier League. He attacks and moves with an explosiveness that will always have a defender on tilt.
If we see Conor Bradley starting at right-back, he will be the main man responsible once again for handling this dilemma. Having just watched him shutdown the likes of Vini Jr. in the Champions League, he should be more than up for this challenge.
A challenge this will be though as Doku has averaged match rating in the Premier League this season of 7.16 from 10 matches, an example of his week-to-week consistency.
He is one of the best players in the league when it comes to progressive carries, take-ons, and touches in the attacking penalty area. You cannot switch off on this man like we have seen the Liverpool defense do at times this season.
He will gladly create something for Haaland or he can attack himself and at that point, Giorgi Mamardashvili will need to play some hero ball.
Final Thoughts
Each season Manchester City is full of a stars all over the pitch, but Liverpool are right there with them.
While these might be four of the most dangerous threats, the Reds know they will have to be on high-alert and focus across the board to get this done.
I expect another topsy-turvy affair, but if Slot can find a good plan to neutralize the above players, it could be the foundation to another very big day for Liverpool.