Liverpool may not have a week off, but they will definitely beat Manchester United in next weekend’s game. The Reds went top of the Premier League after beating Crystal Palace last weekend and lost to Arsenal at Aston Villa.Despite Manchester City’s first win in five games, Pep Guardiola’s men remain four points clear of the new leaders.
Liverpool will be looking to maintain and extend their lead until 2024 when they face United at Anfield. The final Europa League group stage game against Union SG is in the race for top spot, but with the Reds confident of first place, Jurgen Klopp could rest his big men next weekend. And the Liverpool manager has already received a huge boost this weekend, with Alisson Becker returning to action earlier than expected. City, meanwhile, could suffer a huge blow as they look set to catch up to the Reds.
Alisson Becker did what Mohamed Salah couldn’tAlisson’s return could not come at a better time for Liverpool. The Brazilian scored against Crystal Palace after a brief injury lay-off and made an immediate difference. He produced another season-saving tackle in the first half when he tipped Jefferson Lerma’s effort into the post.
With Liverpool ahead, he pushed away Joachim Andersen’s header in injury time. Denmark may have been offside, but Alisson had no way of knowing.It was a performance that cemented his status as the best goalkeeper in the world and, unlike many of his peers, there is little debate on that front. Erling Haaland’s injury is the most recent and expected return date. Erling Haaland’s absence from Manchester City on Sunday certainly raised a few eyebrows. Despite Pep Guardiola’s side beating Luton, news of the Norwegian’s injury could not have come at a worse time.
After four games without a win, the last thing Guardiola wanted was to deal a blow to his most important player. The City manager has now given an update on Liverpool and Arsenal’s interest. Following City’s loss to Aston Villa, it was confirmed that Haaland did not play “properly” and could miss two more matches.
