The Argentina striker has 16 goals in all competitions and Klopp is wary of the damage he can do to Liverpool’s hopes of closing the six-point gap to leaders Chelsea.
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Klopp enjoyed spectacular success against City in the Premier League last season as his team ran out convincing winners on both occasions.
“Liverpool are contenders”, he said of the German’s side, per the City Twitter feed.
City will be without Leroy Sane and Vincent Kompany but John Stones is fit to play despite suffering a blow to the knee in the win over Hull City on Boxing Day.
The away side’s attacking prowess will be boosted by the timely return of top scorer Sergio Aguero who will return from a four-game ban and look to break his Anfield drought.
A draw would not be much use to either with the prospect of Chelsea, who should make it 13 wins in a row against Stoke City earlier in the morning (NZ Time), ending the year eight points clear of Liverpool and nine ahead of City.
Pep Guardiola says Anfield will play an important role in which way the game goes when Manchester City travel to Liverpool.
Guardiola did not reveal what he learnt from watching Liverpool dismantle Stoke 4-1, but he knows what he wants from his City side.
Even after conceding the first goal at home for the first time this season they bounced back impressively, aided by some lax Stoke defending, to win comfortably. “Good striker. I have never made a secret of it”.
City must also keep a close eye on Sadio Mane, who scored a hat-trick in his last game against them, for Southampton in a 4-2 win this year.
However, the influential forward showed no signs of distraction as he ended a six-game Premier League drought to put the Reds in front after Lallana had cancelled out Jonathan Walters’ opener for his fourth goal in four league outings.
“Hopefully he is [happy with his year] but I don’t think he thinks too much about it”, he said.
“I was lucky to play before against Jurgen Klopp and I think we know each quite well”. It will be particularly special for Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka.
He also praised City boss Pep Guardiola, his former Bundesliga managerial rival. It was a glowing reference from Mourinho that helped get Karanka the job at Middlesbrough in 2013.
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“There are a lot of advantages in the game, the only one before is that it’s at Anfield”. The two teams are closely matched on overall form but Southampton are unbeaten at home against teams below them and it is only their lack of goals that reduces confidence. We have to fight for each point.
