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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Josh Williams

Harry Kane has already shown Jurgen Klopp the Liverpool forward he must pick against Man City

Liverpool's biggest match of the season awaits - a top-of-the-table clash with Manchester City at the Etihad that could go some way to deciding the destiny of the title. And Jurgen Klopp has a dilemma on his hands.

The Reds have remarkable depth in their squad for the first time under the German coach. He has a wealth of options at his disposal but can only select 11 players to face the league leaders.

It is reasonable to suggest the Liverpool team picks itself for the most part but it remains to be seen who will be deployed in attack. Klopp will likely have to choose three players from Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane, Luis Diaz and Roberto Firmino.

READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp has already hinted at his Liverpool line-up to face Man City

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It is a luxury problem to have but based on how Man City have operated throughout the campaign, there is enough of an argument to suggest that Firmino has a strong shout to be a starter.

Guardiola's outfit have won 23 of their 30 matches in the Premier League this season. They are undeniably difficult to beat yet Tottenham Hotspur have managed to do exactly that on two occasions in the past nine months.

Spurs won 1-0 at home in August, and proceeded to pick up a 3-2 away win in February under Antonio Conte, who harnessed Harry Kane's unique qualities and seemed to target Rodri in particular.

City's favoured 4-3-3 system is proactive and Guardiola's players regularly look to press their opponents in the final third but, as a result, Rodri is often left having to manage wide open spaces in the middle of the park.

As the team's lone holding midfielder, the vacant spaces around the Spaniard can be exploited and Kane did exactly that for Tottenham, as shown below.

The England captain attached himself to Rodri on a number of occasions, while also remaining distant enough from him to receive passes from his team-mates before feeding runners ahead of him.

It was a ploy that Jamie Carragher noted on Monday Night Football shortly after the match. The ex-Liverpool centre-back highlighted how much ground Rodri is required to cover in certain moments.

Upon reflection of Klopp's options, Firmino appears the most suited to performing in a similar manner. Rather than possessing great pace and threatening in behind defences, the Brazilian has always been inclined to drift into midfield.

Klopp has previously described him as Liverpool 's 'connector' because of his tendency to link his team's attacking moves. The 30-year-old seems perfectly equipped to drop into Rodri's zone before feeding his speedy team-mates in more advanced areas.

On top of his suitability to causing issues for Rodri, Firmino is known for his defensive work. He's averaging more final-third tackles on a per-90 basis than any of his team-mates in the Premier League this season, and Jota is the only forward who tends to post more pressures than him.

Having played against City on a number of occasions over the years, Firmino knows exactly what to expect and exactly what he must do in order to perform well against such a dominant opponent.

He isn't the shiniest of Klopp's offensive toys but on Sunday afternoon, he could be the most useful.

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