Gary Neville believes Liverpool have a huge opportunity to hurt Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday, but he is not convinced Andoni Iraola’s side have the same ruthless edge that Jurgen Klopp’s teams once possessed.
Sunday’s meeting already feels bigger than a normal early-season fixture. City arrive at Anfield with a perfect Premier League record, while Liverpool remain unbeaten but have drawn three of their opening five matches.
With all the emotion surrounding City following the recent financial-rule verdict, Neville feels this is the sort of occasion where Klopp’s Liverpool would have smelled blood.
Neville questions whether Liverpool can punish City
Speaking on The Overlap Daily, with his comments reported by OneFootball, Neville admitted he has one major concern about Liverpool ahead of the game.
He said: “I’ve got one worry about Sunday. If this was Klopp’s Liverpool they would drive them into the ground and literally finish them off in one day. They’d probably beat them [by] three or four. I’m not sure on this Liverpool team.”
It is a pretty striking assessment.
Neville clearly believes the atmosphere and circumstances are set up for Liverpool to make a statement, but he is questioning whether Iraola’s side currently have the same intensity and killer instinct that defined Klopp’s best teams.
Anfield gives Reds the chance to prove Neville wrong
There is some logic behind Neville’s concern.
Liverpool have looked dangerous this season, but they have not always turned dominance into wins. In fact, they have drawn their last four Premier League matches at Anfield.
Still, the numbers suggest they remain extremely aggressive without the ball.
Liverpool’s official statistical preview notes that the Reds have applied high-intensity pressure to 48.9 per cent of opposition touches in the attacking half, the highest rate in the Premier League this season.
That makes Sunday fascinating. City have won five from five and arrive with confidence, but Anfield will be hostile and emotionally charged.
Klopp’s team often thrived in exactly these kinds of games. Iraola’s team now have the opportunity to show they can do the same.
A convincing win would not just cut City’s early advantage. It would also answer Neville’s biggest question about this new Liverpool side.
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