With Mai 8h starting at the same time, Liverpool s winning rate reached 72.2%, and with at least one player missing, the winning rate dropped to 59.5%.

In the 11th round of the Premier League, defending champion Liverpool will go to an away game to challenge Manchester City. The two teams are currently at least 6 points behind Arsenal, the leader of the league. This game is crucial to their possibility of winning the championship. OPTA took stock of the 5 highlights of this matchup.

Whether Haaland or Salah dominates this game

Considering the performance of Haaland and Salah at the beginning of the 2025-26 season, if one of them performs well in this weekend's game, it is likely to be Manchester City's goal machine Haaland. Haaland has scored 13 goals in 10 Premier League games, accounting for 65% of Manchester City's total goals. He scored twice against Bournemouth last week and scored another goal in the Champions League in midweek. He has failed to score in only two games in all competitions this season, against Villa and Tottenham. In fact, he could break the record for being the fastest to reach 100 Premier League goals this weekend, needing just two more goals to reach the milestone.

Salah, the Premier League Golden Boot winner last season, only scored 4 goals in 10 games. His battle for the Golden Boot seems to be over. However, Salah has scored consecutive goals in the last two Premier League games for the first time since February this year. Has he regained his form? Salah performed well against Manchester City, scoring 9 goals and 6 assists. He is the player with the most goals against Manchester City in the history of the Premier League. If his performances in the past two games are any indication, it could be a bad sign for City.

What kind of midfield combination will Slott use?

Before Liverpool defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday, former Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said that Slott's attempt to use Wirtz as the No. 10 destroyed the balance of the midfield. Slaughter's choice to form a midfield trio of Hrafenberch, McAllister and Szoboszlai was effective, helping the team win games against Villa and Real Madrid without conceding a goal.

Data shows that when these three players start at the same time, Liverpool's winning rate is as high as 72.2%. When at least one player is absent, the winning rate drops to 59.5%, and their average goals conceded per game also increases from 0.8 to 1.4.

Whether Wirtz should continue to start

Slott also needs to decide how to use Wirtz. The 116 million pound new signing struggled in the league but performed well in the Champions League. The German created five chances against Real Madrid and is the only Premier League player to create so many chances in multiple games this season.

Can Bradley cope with Doku's impact?

Although Liverpool won 2-0 in their last away game against Manchester City, people still remember Manchester City, especially Doku's offense against Arnold. The Belgian winger completed 15 dribbles in that game, second only to Traore's record of 16 against Watford in January 2020. With Alexander-Arnold no longer on the team, Liverpool has uncertainty at right-back. Bradley is expected to start on Sunday against the in-form Doku, who successfully defended Vinicius against Real Madrid, but Doku is also in excellent form this season, creating an average of 3.3 chances per 90 minutes.

Whether Foden will break out at critical moments

Foden performed poorly in the 2024-25 season, but this season he scored twice against Dortmund, showing signs of recovery. Foden has created 20 chances this season, averaging 2.9 chances per 90 minutes, the best performance of his career. If his performance against Dortmund is anything to go by, he will be a serious threat for Liverpool on Sunday.

 

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