Dugout Discussion

Mane, Fabinho and Alisson return for Liverpool as Guardiola benches Jesus

The most-anticipated Premier League fixture of the weekend, and perhaps the calendar year so far, sees reigning champions Liverpool take on current league leaders Manchester City.

Kick-off at Anfield is at 16:30 GMT.

A win for City would take them ten points clear of Jurgen Klopp’s side, with the blue half of Manchester also having a game in hand to play on top of that.

Klopp has brought back three of his big guns from illness and injury for this fixture, with Sadio Mane, Alisson and Fabinho returning to the starting XI.

Fabinho will be deployed alongside Jordan Henderson at centre-half, with the Liverpool boss resisting the urge to hand a first start to new recruits Ozan Kabak or Ben Davies – the latter of whom doesn’t even make the matchday squad.

Along with the three returning players above, Curtis Jones is recalled to the hosts’ line-up.

Xherdan Shaqiri, James Milner, Nat Phillips and Caoimhin Kelleher are the men to make way.

Guardiola has made two changes to his City line-up as Oleksandr Zinchenko and Phil Foden start in place of the benched Aymeric Laporte and Gabriel Jesus.

The form book points to City in this fixture, with the visitors on a nine-match winning run in the top flight.

Guardiola’s troops have recorded 11 shut-outs in their last 13 matches, too.

Liverpool have won only two of their last eight Premier League games, meanwhile, with many of their key FPL assets in poor form.

Andrew Robertson is on his longest barren run without an attacking return since his debut season at Anfield, while Mohamed Salah – who is still the division’s top goalscorer, lest we forget – hasn’t found the net on Merseyside since Gameweek 13.


Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Henderson, Robertson, Thiago, Wijnaldum, Jones, Salah, Firmino, Mane.

Manchester City XI: Ederson, Joao Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Gundogan, Mahrez, Sterling, Foden.

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2,350 Comments Post a Comment
  1. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    savederson

  2. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Thank you Firmino for waking me up

  3. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Foden is surprisingly fast!

  4. ivantys
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Jota needs to be back or Firmino will keep remaining like this.

    1. Pep Roulette
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      When is he back? Liverpool need him now more than ever.

      1. Bushwhacker
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Unknown. Firmino playing well, don’t know what you guys are watching

        1. Pep Roulette
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Yes agree with Firmino playing well. He's important for the way Liverpool play. But Jota pushes the levels of all three forwards. We all remember his impact when he was fit.

      2. The Ilfordian
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I think last Klopp said was a vague ‘it’ll be a few weeks’

      3. ivantys
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Not any time soon, probably in March.

  5. sunzip14
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    OR 1 and 2 not trusting City defense at all.

    1. sunzip14
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      no city players in XI

    2. Pep Roulette
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Short lived reign then

  6. WVA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    I'd be surprised if LiVARpool didn't score here

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Lol you are inaccurate it makes it funny!

  7. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Trent crossing them for fun

    1. WVA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      And Robbo

  8. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Zinchenko totally out of place here

    If him and thiago got sent off bith teams might actually play better with 10 men

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Is this racist at this point or just clueless?

      1. La Roja
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        How’s this even racist?

  9. Ange Ball
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    1st Sub DCL 12pts
    2nd Sub Justin 6pts plus 3BP

    anyone else in similar situation?

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Why?!?!

    2. Pep Roulette
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      27 points on my bench

      1. Pep Roulette
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        25*

    3. 272MK
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      No 2nd sub. God dayyum feel sorry for you bro

      1. Ange Ball
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Been like this all season

      2. Ange Ball
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Now Gun missed pen I am in to minds just pressing the delete button on my team

    4. Gandalf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      That, Martinez and Dias..

      1. lordkippe
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Yeah. Played Tarkowski & Saka. Got AWB 1st and Soucek 2ndsub. Okay with Soucek but really should have played AWB

    5. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      DCL 1st Sub
      Targett 2nd Sub

    6. ivantys
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      29 on bench here

  10. Bushwhacker
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Ciry are parking the bus nicely here

    1. Here's Tom with the We…
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Lovely stuff

  11. JustPark
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Enough with the foreplay. Just shoot!

    1. el polako
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      -everyother married women.

  12. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Gundo playing really badly

  13. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Penalty city

  14. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Pen City

  15. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Penalty

  16. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Pen

  17. sunzip14
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    City Pen

  18. Pat Bonner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Penalty, sterling brought down

  19. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Blatant penalty

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Well played for. Razztastic.

  20. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Pen City

  21. Bushwhacker
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Dive mongous!!!

  22. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Should have benched Robbo and played Cancelo

  23. Muchentuchel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    tbf that's a clear pen

  24. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    What a miss

  25. _Ninja_
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Gundo miss

  26. Pat Bonner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Shocking pen

  27. Isco Disco
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Clear penalty.
    PLease score Gundo!!!

  28. Steve The Spud
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    My word

  29. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Gundo off Pens

  30. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Gundo miss