Exclusive
DOUBLE WHAMMY
Liverpool vs Manchester City in Champions League is also Mo Salah against Kevin De Bruyne for player of the year
SOMEONE asked me to name my player of the season this weekend . . . but it is going to have to wait for another fortnight.
In that time, Manchester City and Liverpool will contest what I am sure will be an absolute classic two-legged Champions League quarter-final.
8
That will also decide who, in my view, can be named the stand-out player between Liverpool’s Mo Salah and City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
There are obviously so many great players who can turn this tie.
But these two have stood out for me over the whole season.
Salah, for his 37 goals during the campaign, which he added to on Saturday with his winner at Selhurst Park.
8
8
He is in one of those moments where all great strikers long to be.
A place where you feel invincible.
PORT OF CALL Manchester City need to take ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’ to win the Premier League against Manchester United, says Aymeric Laporte
You stand in that tunnel and you don’t think you are going to go out there and score, you know you are going to score.
Salah is part of a great attacking line with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino who will give City as tough a task at Anfield on Wednesday as they will have had so far this season — well, since the last time they were there.
All three were on target when Liverpool dominated Pep Guardiola’s side in a way no other team has done this season.
They won 4-3 at Anfield back in January, inflicting City’s only Premier League defeat of the season.
Everton 1-3 Manchester City: Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling sink Toffees leaving City one win from title
Goals in the 84th and 90th minutes for City that day gave the scoreline an unjust look as Liverpool battered them.
So, while City will understandably start favourites over two legs, it is far from a given.
It is a hard to single out any one player from this Manchester City side, such has been the form of all their players.
But is there a better passer of the ball and creator than De Bruyne in Europe right now?
8
The Belgian has 20 assists in all competitions this season to go with his eleven goals.
He simply sees passes and opportunities that other’s don’t and his delivery is inch-perfect. He must be a dream for any striker.
While both these teams are wonderful going forward it may be at the back where Liverpool will be let down over two legs.
8
Jurgen Klopp has tried to address that problem with the purchase of Virgil van Dijk for £75million in January. Yet still against Palace on Saturday we saw how they can be cut open.
Trent Alexander-Arnold looked particularly vulnerable at full-back in the first half against Wilfried Zaha while Christian Benteke was gifted two great chances, which he should have scored.
8
8
Manchester City’s problems at the back left them short last season but — as I have highlighted before in this column — goalkeeper Ederson has made a huge difference, giving them a renewed confidence and the best defence in the league.
The whole contest is a mouth- watering prospect between two sides bang in form.
We often have to look to the continent for these sort of clashes in the Champions League but we have got one of our own right here.
Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool: Mo Salah’s late strike boosts top four hopes leaving Eagles in relegation fight
Much has been talked about the atmosphere at Anfield having an effect on Wednesday and there is no doubt it will be red-hot for a European night. But great teams rise to such occasions and City have a team on the brink of greatness.
Certainly Saturday night’s game against Manchester United — in- between the two Liverpool legs — will give them a chance to write their names in history.
To beat your biggest rivals to win the league is not a scenario you get very often.
City have the chance to do something that will be talked about by their fans for decades to come.
While that will be special, it is for glory in the Champions League that Pep Guardiola was really brought to the Etihad.
I can see them edging out Liverpool over two legs to reach the last four where they will probably be in the company of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
All extreme tests but not ones that this City team should fear.
They have the defence, the creativity and finishing power to win this competition.
8
most read in football
They also have a manager who knows how to win it.
We can talk about lack of experience with the club having only reached the last four of this competition once, but Guardiola’s knowledge will make up for that.
We are witnessing a very special team right now who needs to grab this opportunity.
Legends can be made by City over these coming weeks. It really can be their time.
Topics