Gary Neville believes Liverpool have a major opportunity to damage Manchester City’s perfect start when the sides meet at Anfield on Sunday, but he has questioned whether they possess the ruthlessness of Jurgen Klopp’s former teams.
Manchester City have won all five of their Premier League matches this season, while Liverpool remain unbeaten after drawing three of their opening five games. The circumstances have led Neville to wonder whether Liverpool can fully exploit the pressure surrounding their opponents.
Gary Neville raises concern before Liverpool vs Manchester City
Speaking on The Overlap Daily, Neville said Klopp’s Liverpool would have been expected to seize an occasion of this magnitude and punish City decisively.
“I’ve got one worry about Sunday. If this was Klopp’s Liverpool they would drive them into the ground and literally finish them off in one day. They’d probably beat them [by] three or four. I’m not sure on this Liverpool team,” he said.
Neville’s assessment reflects his concern that Liverpool may not yet have the same intensity or attacking edge that characterised Klopp’s strongest sides.
Liverpool have looked dangerous this season but have not always converted their control into victories. They have also drawn their last four Premier League matches at Anfield.
There are, however, signs that the team remain capable of making life difficult for opponents. Liverpool’s official statistical preview records that they have applied high-intensity pressure to 48.9 per cent of opposition touches in the attacking half, the highest rate in the Premier League this season.
That aggressive approach will be tested by a Manchester City side arriving with confidence and an unblemished league record. Anfield is expected to provide a hostile setting for a match that already carries greater significance than a routine early-season fixture.
For Liverpool, victory would reduce City’s early advantage and offer an immediate response to Neville’s doubts. It would also provide an opportunity for Andoni Iraola’s side to show that they can match the intensity and ruthless finishing associated with Klopp’s Liverpool.
