Match of the Day pundit Martin Keown has revealed the one thing that ensures Liverpool success when they play Manchester City.
The Reds won all three of their games against City last season, and they will be looking to extend that run when the two sides take each other on in the Premier League showdown this Sunday.
When asked what makes Jurgen Klopp so successful when he takes on Pep Guardiola, Keown believes that it is down to the German manager being “fearless” – and added that this clash at Anfield will not concern the Reds.
“It’s because he is fearless. He always sets up his teams to win. If you sit off Guardiola’s teams, you simply invite them on. By going after them, you can exploit any space they leave when they bomb forwards,” he told the Daily Mail in ‘Tackle Keown’.
“Liverpool may have lost momentum after defeats by Chelsea in the League Cup and Napoli in Europe. But they have won their last three matches against Manchester City and are unbeaten against them at Anfield since 2003. This game will hold no fear for Liverpool.”
OPINION
Liverpool have had the most success when they play Manchester City, so Keown is right – this game will hold no fear for the Reds. If anything, they will be relishing the chance to take on City despite the significance of the clash. They have nothing to lose, but it will be interesting to see how Liverpool will approach this match after their winless run, which includes a loss to Napoli on Wednesday. Nevertheless, the pundit is right when he explains how Guardiola’s team can be stopped in their tracks. Like he said, allowing them to play and have space is a very risky game indeed – and Liverpool have most certainly recognised this in recent times. The fact that they managed to stop City not once, but three times, is a mightily impressive feat in itself. Most teams would struggle to get one positive result against them let alone three, which goes to show just how far Liverpool have come.
