Ex-Man City star Shaun Wright-Phillips says the result against Liverpool this weekend could give his former club the momentum they need to maintain their lead over Arsenal in the next five matches.
Enzo Maresca’s side will face the Reds, Ipswich (h), Aston Villa (a), Brighton (h) and Nottingham Forest (a), and speaking exclusively to Man City News (courtesy of OLBG), Wright-Phillips said a lot could ride on the result at Anfield:
“That’s a hard one [to predict]. With my bias hat on, I would like to see them at the top of the table [after 10 games]. But football’s a funny old game. It could turn out they beat Liverpool and then don’t play so well against Ipswich or Leeds and drop points there, as we’ve seen loads of big teams do in the past.
“So for them it will be about taking one game at a time, and I think the main focus is beating Liverpool. If they beat Liverpool, I think that will set them up for the rest of the games.”
Who do Arsenal play over the next five matches?
The reigning champions arguably have a similarly tough fixture list, with games against the likes of Leeds (h), Nottingham Forest (a), Everton (h), Liverpool (a) and Hull City (h).
Interestingly, both teams have away trips to the City Ground and Anfield coming up, and that will give us a gauge as to which of the two are the strongest.
Liverpool vs Man City team news
Maresca is sweating over the fitness of two players. Antoine Semenyo injured his ankle during the win over Sunderland, and he was unable to go away on international duty with Ghana as a result. Fans will be hoping that the 3-week break is enough time for him to make a full recovery.
Nico O’Reilly picked up a knock whilst he was with England. Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel claimed it was a “minor” problem, but the 21-year-old only played in 1 of the 4 Nations League qualifiers. Phil Foden, meanwhile, is suspended. He will serve the final match of his three-game ban against Liverpool after being sent off in the Manchester derby.
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