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Stuart Jamieson

Klopp backs Salah to shine in showdown, Guardiola's Liverpool 'weakness' admission

Here are the latest Premier League headlines for Saturday, April 9.

Pep's Liverpool verdict

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admits there are few weaknesses in the Liverpool side for his team to exploit. The champions host the Reds on Sunday having seen their lead at the top of the Premier League cut to a single point by Jurgen Klopp's in-form outfit.

City - albeit having played more games - led by 14 points at one stage but Liverpool, on a 10-game winning run, have been relentless in their pursuit and Guardiola is well aware of their strengths. Guardiola said: "In the times we've played against them (there) are always many games during the game, many decisions, many actions, many details for both sides.

"I think both teams are good but we try to discover the weak points that they have. They are few but we try to expose them. At the same time, we are at home with our people so must be ourselves. We've played them many times already, not just in the Premier League, and they were always very tight and good games."

READ MORE: Jesse Marsch explains how Jack Harrison is becoming a 'big' player for Leeds

Klopp backs Salah

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is relying on Mohamed Salah's big-game experience to carry him through Sunday's top-of-the-table encounter with Manchester City. The Egypt international has not scored from open play since February 19 and his last couple of performances, at home to Watford and away at Benfica on Tuesday, have been well below the standard expected of the 28-goal forward.

Salah, who has experienced heartbreak at international level by losing the Africa Cup of Nations final and a World Cup play-off - both to Senegal - in the last two months, has looked like a player whose 47 appearances for club and country this season are catching up with him. Were he not who he is, with the record he has in the Premier League for the club, there would be considerable doubt over his place in Sunday's team as he is arguably the least in-form of Klopp's five forwards.

However, dropping him against City is almost unthinkable because of the message it would send out before kick-off.

"Yeah, big-game experience helps, definitely. It is not the only important thing you consider when you make a line-up but it is one of these," said Klopp. The Reds boss had said after Tuesday's win over Benfica that Salah, for whom speculation over a contract which expires next summer continues to grow, appeared to have been influenced by "stories" around him.

However, he clarified that remark in his pre-match press conference by stressing he was referring to the talk about his workload and international disappointment, rather than any focus on his contractual issues. "I didn't know about the stories behind it, it was the 'stories' what we thought about intensity - not the stories that were written," he added.

McNeil could play for 'anyone'

Burnley boss Sean Dyche has spoken of the confidence he has in Dwight McNeil as he described the winger as a player who could "slot into any team in the Premier League". While McNeil has scored seven goals and provided 17 assists in the English top flight since making his debut in 2018, the figures are none and one for this season in 29 appearances.

When asked about that current form at a press conference ahead of Sunday's trip to Norwich, Dyche, who took the 22-year-old out of the starting line-up for the 3-2 victory over Everton on Wednesday, said: "He'll come through that period. There was a lot of noise about that during this season and that can play on a player, it really can, particularly when you are younger.

"But he's got ability, there's no two ways about it. He could slot into any team in the Premier League, I am convinced of that, with his technical ability. And he continues to learn the game and when to get higher up the pitch, when to break the back line, when to go high and wide. His usual game is to come inside and drop short to get the ball. What he has to work on - which he is doing - is recognising the opportunities to go and break the back line, to get wide and run forward, because when he does that, he is a real threat."

Norwich sweat the small stuff

Norwich head coach Dean Smith hopes getting the small details right could just make the biggest difference as his side battle to keep their fading Premier League dream alive. The Canaries host relegation rivals Burnley on Sunday and face a side out to take momentum from their late midweek win over Everton.

Norwich are bottom of the table, seven points from safety and have played more games than both the Clarets and Toffees, who sit 17th. Last weekend's rather fortuitous goalless draw at Brighton - where the hosts missed a penalty as well as numerous other clear chances - stopped a run of six straights league defeats. Smith and assistant Craig Shakespeare have been drilling the squad on facing up to key choices at crucial moments which could prove pivotal.

"We are putting them into situations in training where they have to make good decisions," Smith said. "The more repetitive that can be in making good decisions, then the more likely they are going to do it on a matchday.

"I have always said that confidence is a big thing in football. I think the point at Brighton - not the performance, but the point - and the result (helps). I don't need to tell the players how big the (Burnley) game is. I think that will help the confidence in itself."

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