Manchester City vs Liverpool Preview: Lack of strikers an issue for Citizens as they depend on De Bruyne to score
Liverpool is now looking like the Liverpool of the good old days. They're at the top of the ranks at the moment and following their stellar run in the Champions League, Jurgen Klopp's men have been in red-hot form as they gear up to run into Manchester City who has blown hot and cold in the season. After their strong win against Arsenal, Liverpool tied the game against West Ham and won 1-0 against Sheffield United. For those who felt their attack lacked teeth, they just might be right.
There's no doubt the team has slowly, by alarmingly shown signs of being over-reliant on Kevin De Bruyne. Over the last few games, that he took it on himself to create more attacking opportunities shows Pep Guardiola and his men are missing a bunch of experienced players in the side. Vincent Kompany's exit in 2019, David Silva and Leroy Sane's absence means the Citizens have to rely on De Bruyne's experience as stats show he's taken more shots to the post (3) than anyone else in the team.
The absence of a bonafide striker will hurt their chances and perhaps that issue could have been tackled during the transfer window. For Liverpool's formidable striking quartet, this is a chance to blast past City and further consolidate their standing on the table. Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah with 3.5 and 4.6 average shots per game along with an in-form Diogo Jota and that spell trouble for Guardiola. Not just is this a glimpse of their vulnerability, but also a concern of excess pressure on De Bruyne.
Salah, Mane, Jota were all ably assisted as the Reds have 123 shots on goal this season. City lag behind at 96, according to Liverpool.com and their striking options is accountable for the figure. More so, the Reds have a solid roster which explains why they're winning despite the absence of top stars in Virgil Van Dijk. Should De Bruyne run into injury issues as he did in the 2018-19 season, City will be looking for answers with depleted resources.
For now, they can thank Ferran Torres for his skills as he played a key role in City's 3-0 Champions League win against Olympiacos. Up next is a solid test against Liverpool on Sunday, November 8 and City will have to stay on top of their game to break into the top four.
City host Liverpool at the City of Manchester Stadium. Kick-off is slated for 11:30 AM ET. The game can be watched live on Peacock Premium.