I still think Manchester City will concede, because I can not see them keeping a clean sheet against Liverpool no matter whether they play with four at the back – which seems to work best for them – or three.
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Title talk on Merseyside is growing but Klopp, who takes charge of his 50th Premier League game against Sunderland, is not getting caught up in it.
With a lead to hold, Liverpool were then solid and organised, with Ragnar Klavan and Dejan Lovren doing the simple things that City’s back four repeatedly struggle to manage.
City could keep consecutive clean sheets in the league for the first time under Guardiola.
Their first-half display was especially poor and there was no rally at the end to put Liverpool on the back foot.
Georginio Wijnaldum’s early goal proved the difference on Saturday evening as Liverpool rounded off an encouraging year with a 1-0 triumph over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at Anfield.
Buoyed by the goal, Liverpool were first to the loose balls and looked sharper in their movement and crisper in their passing than a City team which was too often disjointed and lacking a clear objective.
Stoke was the architect of its own downfall at times, with Lallana finding the net after Glen Johnson – one of three former Liverpool players in Stoke’s lineup – failing to clear a cross. It will also be the first time Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, two of the Premier League’s elite managers and rivals from spells in Germany, have faced each other in England.
Liverpool can close the gap on Antonio Conte’s side to three points should they win at Sunderland today and the odds must be in their favour – starting in 1977 Sunderland have changed divisions in every year that ends in seven.
Klopp beefed up his midfield by bringing in Emre Can in place of Divock Origi and the move had the beneficial side-effect of freeing Wijnaldum to get forward, as City found to their cost. It is no surprise that the Reds are the top scorers in the division with 45 goals in 18 games.
“But Liverpool are one of the best teams, we were at Anfield and we knew this would be hard”. I’ve had much more hard situations in my life than being second in a very hard league.
“They will not play like previous year, it’s really exciting”.
That resulted in a more robust defensive performance from Liverpool.
Against Liverpool, De Bruyne looked jaded and frustrated and perhaps in need of a break.
But, in attack, the Reds were as quick, incisive and destructive as they have been throughout the season.
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Guardiola acknowledged his side must find a way to contend with the “heavy metal football” that Liverpool play under Klopp.
