By Jordan Carreno

Matchday 8 sees Kloppo and the Boys back at Anfield to take on Manchester City in a Super Sunday top of the table clash. Kickoff is set for Sunday at 11:30 am EST.

Liverpool v Manchester City — 10/07/2018 1630 GMT

Well, they don’t really get much bigger than this do they? 1 versus 2 in the standings and a chance to claim top spot for our own heading into the international break. Brilliant. On top of all of that, we will also be doing another 50/50 raffle to continue to raise funds to sponsor members at a local foundation’s charity walk. As always, all 3 LFC Tampa Bay locations will be open and serving for the match. So, let’s get into these 3 pre-match talking points.

The Best of Enemies

Before we are all submerged in the drama of the day, we should take a moment to appreciate this match for what it is and what it means in regards to our continued journey to reclaim our former glory. It has been a while since we’ve been involved in a Premier League matchup of this significance. A top of the table clash that, despite it being early days still, feels as if it will have a large effect on how this season plays out.

However, we’re not only going to be treated to the top two sides in the Premier League. There’s a case to be made that the two best football teams in the world will be doing battle on the Anfield turf on Sunday. Though the two clubs’ make-up, histories, ethos, and processes are wildly contrasting, their qualities are almost mirror images.

The match between Liverpool and City will arguably feature the two best teams in world football at the moment

Both clubs will be led by two of the top managers in world football in Klopp and Guardiola. Both managers boast a high intensity, attacking brand of football. On the pitch, both sides are filled to the brim with world class talent. In either goal will be a keeper that broke the transfer record at the time of their signing. There’s even the fact that both teams will, most likely, run out a speedy winger sporting an afro. We’ve earned our right to be a part of these type of contests and to be able to stack up evenly against teams of City’s level.

It has been a steady rise, particularly under Klopp, that has us playing in the most hyped fixture in all of world football this weekend. It goes without saying, but winning titles and becoming the best team on the planet means playing in these types of games regularly. Though it doesn’t satisfy our ultimate goal, it is a sign that we are continuing to progress. Regardless of result, we should enjoy every minute of it.

Muting the Murmurs

Rewind a week and a half ago and the talk around this team was all positive. Even our loudest critics and most zealous doubters had to admit we were looking quite formidable. After a three match winless run though, the peanut gallery is beginning to find their voice again.

Are Liverpool’s defensive issues solved? Is the front three as potent as previously claimed? Was Salah a one season wonder? The recent results have allowed for these questions to pop back up. As quickly as the Reds had rewritten some of the narratives around the team, the run of recent results, most notable being the performance at Napoli, has drawn into question this new reputation.

Our more reactive fans are back to claiming our midfield is severely lacking. That Salah, despite being on par with how he started last season, is underperforming. Even the “Klopp Out” boys started sharpening their hashtags for deployment.

Yes, the midweek performance was well below the standard we’ve come to expect from this team. Yes, we’ve had a less than a stellar run in the last 10 days. However, we’re still even on points at the top of the league and in a qualifying spot in our Champions League group. Sunday will present an opportunity for the players to erase the recent doubts and questions and continue with the early trends and narratives they set this season.

A marauding, suffocating performance by our midfield three will erase the disjointed nature of the Napoli performance. A couple clinical finishes from our front three will bring back the plaudits. Another stout, resolute shift, in the face of one of the most dangerous teams in Europe no less, will restore the new found faith in our back line. Once again, being a successful side competing for titles means controlling the narratives around them.

Anfield Voodoo, Blue Moon Boohoo

City and their fans still can’t seem to get over the bus greeting

Pep Guardiola must wake up in the middle of the night from nightmares of taking on Liverpool, Klopp, and playing at Anfield. City’s documentary series showed the level of obsession that Pep and his staff have for our squad. Between the seven goals put past him last season, the 1–0 loss on New Year’s Eve in his first, and the bus greeting he can’t seem to get over, the thought of the Reds running at his side at Anfield must give him fits.

And about that bus greeting. The one that has caused City to outfit their bus with spy cameras and has their fans talking of plans to guard the bus on the way into the ground. You would have thought we had pushed the bus over, scalped the players, and then set it on fire. After spending a whole week prior to last season’s Champions League first leg match talking down the atmosphere in and around Anfield on a European night, they’ve spent the last 6 months moaning about the effects of that same atmosphere.

It’s all a tad bit embarrassing for a club trying to assert itself as a member of Europe’s elite. You’d have thought Pep would have learned his lesson after trying to downplay the effect of Anfield and its crowd the last time out. Instead they’ve doubled down and continue to try to ignore the mysticism around our hallowed ground whilst simultaneously crying foul and blaming it for derailing their Champions League ambitions.

I’ve said it before; Anfield is a spiteful old lady. When disrespected or slighted, she usually comes down full force on her foe. City and Pep should have learned this first hand last time out after finding themselves down 3–0 within a half. Apparently they haven’t. Anfield may once again teach Pep and his squad a brutal lesson in football mysticism.

Prediction

Last week my “we’re going to smash them” strategy folded in on itself as Liverpool drew Chelsea 1–1. David picked up one point for correctly guessing Chelsea would score 1 and so now leads me 8 points to 7. I’m itching to set things right.

Klopp said pre-match that, though he had wanted to win the Napoli match, losing provided the best attitude for going into the big match. The lads know they had a stinker midweek and will doubtlessly be itching to set things right. Also, this is the team that thoroughly embarrassed us around the same point last season and they’ll want to definitively show the improvement they’ve made since that moment. In that way, this is a chance for vengeful Klopp to make another appearance and I am a big believer in that Klopp, especially this season.

On a much smaller pitch than Napoli’s, our pressing and midfield play will be back up to the standard we’ve come to expect. As I said on our weekly podcast, I think we score 2 early goals and then continue to open them up and tear them apart. Salah gets a hat-trick and Mane and Bobby each get a goal. 5–0.

David’s Prediction: While I’m no pessimist I also see that City has far more class on the pitch than they do in the seats. And those fellas are gonna be looking to prove first that they can win at Anfield and second that they still reign supreme in this league. But with a that said I’m backing the ambition of our squad and the magic of Anfield to prevail in what I suspect will be an absolute circus match. Everyone one ups their performance from last year and Liverpool emerge victorious 5–4.