Liverpool’s best performance of the season came in their 4-1 demolition of City
JURGEN KLOPP’S SIDE don’t have to go too far into the memory bank to dig up some motivation for today’s decider.
Back in November, Liverpool conjured their best display of the campaign when they scored three times inside the opening 32 minutes and ended up scorching to a definitive 4-1 victory at the Etihad.
There was an intensity to the Reds’ approach with Klopp’s much-vaunted pressing game at the heart of it.
The system has had mixed fortunes this term though the blueprint is what occurred on that frantic Saturday.
Klopp had done his homework and his players harried City when they attempted to push out of their own half particularly. It worked a treat as City coughed up possession continuously. Incredibly, Liverpool racked up 32 interceptions in that game – ten more than they’ve managed in any other league fixture.
As Klopp told the BBC ahead of the fixture, he knows City can be beaten and that’s enough for him. The issue is expecting a City response and being prepared for that.
They won’t make the same mistakes again though it’s difficult to know just what City will turn up.
Pellegrini will want to finish with a flourish but this trophy is not the priority
We saw how little Manuel Pellegrini thought of the FA Cup when he selected a team of raw, unproven youngsters for the recent clash with Chelsea.
It kept his core group fresh and the side were rewarded with an eye-catching display in Kiev midweek. They now have one foot in the quarter-finals and you’d forgive Pellegrini for rubbing his hands a little.
Europe is the one he desperately wants – a sizable personal accolade and the ultimate humiliation for the employers who betrayed him and spent the last couple of seasons making eyes at Pep Guardiola.
So, how motivated will he and his players be for this afternoon’s clash? Yes, it’s a piece of silverware though it’s hard to know how much of a confidence-booster it would be. Six points from the top-flight summit and having suffered back-to-back league defeats, the onus is on Pellegrini to close the gap.
The Chilean’s legacy will hardly be determined by a League Cup success or, for that matter, whether he will care too much to finish his final season with the club by winning ‘any’ trophy.
And, more to the point, such an attitude can easily filter to the players.
City made little mistake in 2014 when still involved in a litany of competitions
Two years ago, City were about to face into a FA Cup last-eight clash and take on Barcelona in the Champions League.
Still, they were faced with a League Cup final to negotiate before all of that.
They beat Sunderland 3-1 that day at Wembley and despite losing out to the Catalans in Europe, they finished the season as league champions too.
So, they can prioritise when they want to.
And the players, always much-maligned when it comes to questions of temperament and desire, also stepped up to the plate – hungry to win.
Sturridge is back but can Liverpool count on him?
Midweek, Daniel Sturridge hit back at reporters after his spirit was questioned in light of his long-running injury problems.
He’s back and scoring goals too. It took him just sixteen minutes to grab the opener against a hapless Aston Villa – a firm statement of intent. Still, he was replaced after an hour and there was a similar contribution on Thursday against Augsburg, hauled off after 66 minutes to make way for Divock Origi.
Sturridge is a goal-scorer, of that there’s no doubt. But there’s a bigger question: can Liverpool count on him?
Perhaps the other question is: do Liverpool have a choice?
With Origi and Christian Benteke struggling to make an impact this term and Adam Lallana set to miss out because of injury, it looks like Klopp will play a front-three of Coutinho, Firmino and Sturridge.
Perhaps the most annoying element of ‘The Sturridge Conundrum’ is that City have such a relentless and potent offensive weapon in Sergio Aguero.
Can Liverpool be ruthless enough when chances come their way?
Earlier this season, Sergio Aguero went four games without scoring. Since then, it’s been ten goals in eleven matches.
Even when City struggle, he’s a player the team can count on when a chance is engineered.
Yaya Toure can drift in and out of games, orchestrating the odd piece of individual magic, while Raheem Sterling’s influence on the big occasion hasn’t exactly been a regular occurrence.
But Aguero is immensely consistent and lethal.
How Liverpool could do with someone like him. There’s considerable effort to get the ball in key areas but in spite of the buckets of perspiration, sometimes the constant inspiration is lacking in high-profile games.
Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho can provide moments of creative ingenuity though neither are cut-throat finishers.
City’s may just swing the balance today.
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