A Premier League top-of-the-table clash that does not have a genuine top-of-the-table-clash feel to it takes place at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, as Liverpool and Manchester City pit their wits against one another in the weekend's headline act.
Eight points separate the runaway leaders and the wounded champions in the rankings with 12 games gone, and victory for Arne Slot's side would take them 11 clear of Pep Guardiola's side, dealing the Citizens their most devastating title blow yet.
Sunday's hosts are seeking a seventh straight win in all competitions when the Citizens arrive on Merseyside, having edged out Southampton 3-2 last weekend before a 2-0 Champions League beating of Real Madrid on Wednesday evening.
In stark contrast, City endeavour to snap a six-game winless sequence following a spate of uncharacteristic catastrophes, most recently blowing a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League in midweek.
As debate rages over which players get into their opponents' starting XI, Sports Mole picks a star-studded combined lineup from both squads, using only players who are expected to be available for the contest.
The increasingly injury-plagued Alisson Becker will be helplessly watching on from the sidelines again this week, but his perennial and always capable lieutenant Caoimhin Kelleher hit a new zenith in midweek by saving a Kylian Mbappe penalty. Both he and Ederson only have two clean sheets to their name in the Premier League season, but while Kelleher is still Liverpool's number two goalkeeper, City's more esteemed number one takes his place in between our sticks.
Ederson is unsurprisingly protected by the ever-intimidating Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk, reportedly about to commit himself to a new contract at Anfield, and only three players in the Premier League have won more aerial duels than his 40 this season. However, as his centre-back partner Ibrahima Konate will miss Sunday's blockbuster through injury, Ruben Dias - who returned from a calf problem as an unused substitute against Feyenoord - partners Van Dijk for what would hypothetically be the first time; interestingly, the dominant Dutchman and Portuguese powerhouse have never been named in the same PFA Team of the Year or FIFPRO World XI.
As City are still lacking a true left-back, and Josko Gvardiol has endured a couple of horror shows of late, Andy Robertson bombs down that flank for us. The Scotsman has also shown signs of being past his best this season, though, and one wonders whether Kostas Tsimikas would be starting on Sunday had he not hurt his ankle. Speaking of full-backs seemingly past their prime, 34-year-old Kyle Walker has seen his fearsome speed and 1v1 ability elude him this season, while Trent Alexander-Arnold has improved on that front significantly, tackling the third-most dribblers in the Premier League (20) this season. The Englishman's attacking numbers are not in the sensational bracket, but three expected assists is still the fourth-most in the division, and he pips Walker to our right-back spot - a likely precursor to future Three Lions selections too.
Of course, Rodri would have been selection number one had he not joined the ever-growing list of ACL victims earlier this season, so Liverpool's resurrected enforcer Ryan Gravenberch sits in the holding midfield role for us. Linked with a shock move to Turkey not all that long ago, the former Bayern Munich protege has been dominating engine rooms all season long, making the joint-most interceptions (23) and posting the second-highest aerial duel win rate (84.6%) in the Premier League season.
Leaving out Gravenberch's double pivot partner Alexis Mac Allister was harsh on the Argentine, but the perpetually versatile Bernardo Silva still warrants a place in the XI; the Portuguese is yet to score this Premier League season, but he ranks in the top 10 for key passes (27) and progressive carries (49) in the competition. Despite only playing six Premier League games so far this season, Kevin De Bruyne has registered more shot-creating actions per 90 minutes than any other player in the division - an unrivalled 7.62. With neither Dominik Szoboszlai nor Curtis Jones making themselves indispensable options for Slot in recent weeks, City's brilliant Belgian acts as our creative focal point.
While Phil Foden struggles to replicate his PFA Player of the Year-worthy form, Luis Diaz is another Liverpool player to have been given a new lease of life under Slot, banking nine goals in 18 games this term and also chipping in with three Premier League assists. On the opposite side of the attacking triumvirate lies the player with the most combined goals and assists in the 2024-25 Premier League season - 16, 10 of his own and six assists. Mohamed Salah may have hit the headlines for the reasons other than his wing wizardry in the past week - from bombshell contract comments to a UCL penalty miss - but expect the 32-year-old to run City's left-back, whoever that may be, completely ragged on Sunday as he awaits his desired renewal offer.
Over the past seven Premier League gameweeks, Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez have registered an identical number of goal contributions - a meagre two. However, while City's Norwegian number nine has seen his powers wane - much to the delight of Arsenal fans after his "stay humble" comment to Mikel Arteta - he still leads the Golden Boot race with 12 strikes and was never in danger of not making the combined XI cut.
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Ben Knapton
