STAN COLLYMORE
Reds boast the best two full-backs in the world
A LOT of people will look at today’s mouthwatering clash between Liverpool and Manchester City and assume it’s the strikers who hold the key to victory.
That the game will be won or lost depending on the performances of Sergio Aguero and/or Gabriel Jesus, or Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
Those boys will be crucial to the outcome, of course, but of even more importance are the battles in midfield and out wide between the wingers and the wing-backs.
That’s where the supply lines run for both sides and if they are cut then it won’t matter what positions the hitmen are in if the ball isn’t reaching them.
For Liverpool, the performances of Trent Alexander-arnold and Andy Robertson will be critical.
They are arguably the best two full- backs in the world and, as a former striker, I can tell you the accuracy of the crossing is tantalising. I did notice against Newcastle and Aston Villa that for two thirds of both games neither really got forward into attacking positions with any regularity and both times Liverpool really had to work hard for victory.
Pep Guardiola (right) will have looked at those games and realised that two sides who are likely to finish in the bottom half of the table were both able to negate them to some extent.
Easier
Arnold
Robertson.
So if City are to win they will do so within the lines of the 18- yard box, while if Liverpool are to take the honours it will be outside of them.
If the latter happens and Klopp and his boys are celebrating come the final whistle then there will be plenty of Reds proclaiming the title is theirs.
That a nine-point lead will be unassailable.
But that won’t be the case and, if you don’t believe me, wait and see how many bookies pay out on my old club as champions this week.
I won’t really start to believe until we’re into March with a nine-point
or lead. Because this City group is just too good to be written off.
I didn’t read too much into Guardiola’s talk of diving from Mane and Liverpool as a whole, either, because that ship sailed a long time ago and they are more disciplined these days.
The only thing I could imagine Guardiola was trying to do was a bit of sabrerattling that maybe got his own group going rather than rattle Klopp and Co. It was a bit strange