Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has predicted his old club will provide the toughest test remaining for Premier League challengers Manchester City, save for the reigning champions' potential title shoot-out against Arsenal.
The Reds beat City at Anfield back in October, but are far off the pace after finishing as runners-up behind Pep Guardiola's side last season. City have some work to do to catch the league leaders, but can close the gap to five points with victory at home on Saturday lunchtime.
City are due to host Arsenal at the end of April, but they have already beaten the Gunners in two separate competitions this term. Mikel Arteta's side also have a game against Liverpool on the horizon, and Carragher expects Jurgen Klopp's side to play a huge part in the destination of the trophy.
"For all Liverpool’s difficulties this season, aside from when City and Arsenal play each other, they are the greatest challenge remaining in the league," Carragher wrote in his column The Telegraph. As well as their home win against City earlier in the campaign, Liverpool handed Man Utd a 7-0 hammering at Anfield and remain the only team to win away at top four contenders Newcastle.
"It was City who ended Liverpool’s quadruple bid a year ago. Jürgen Klopp will be desperate to put a dent in Guardiola’s Treble bid this time," Carragher continued.
"This will not be how Klopp wanted or planned it, but the logic over the next two weeks is not dissimilar as in previous years for those wanting to celebrate in May. Whichever side beats Liverpool will feel like they are a step closer to winning the league. If City succeed and Arsenal do not, the Treble talk will get louder."
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Liverpool and Manchester City both go into Saturday's meeting with injury concerns. City will make a late call on Erling Haaland, who missed Norway's recent internationals through injury, while Liverpool forward Luis Diaz is not quite ready to return after close to six months on the sidelines, though Darwin Nunez could return for the visitors after sitting out the surprise defeat at Bournemouth and playing no part in Uruguay's March friendlies.
"Luis back in small parts of team training after a long time out," Reds boss Klopp said of Diaz. "[It's] fantastic to have him back but he won't train with us today. This week was a first step. Next week I think we will increase it and then he's ready."
Haaland was described as touch-and-go by his father Alfie earlier in the week, and Guardiola gave little away in his Friday press conference. "We have the last training session at 4pm today so then we will see how he feels," the Catalan said. "We still today and especially the player will decide. We will see, we will see what happens."
