Manchester City return to Premier League action this weekend as they look to close the gap between themselves and Arsenal at the top of the table.
After an international break, City restart their Premier League campaign with a tough test against Liverpool, with 19 points currently separating the two sides, a completely different situation compared to last season. With the clash taking place on Saturday lunchtime, a win for Pep Guardiola's side would take them five points behind Arsenal, with the Gunners playing later in the day.
The meeting between City and Liverpool earlier in the season ended in a 1-0 win for the Reds, with Mohamed Salah scoring the only goal of the game. But, City enter the game in tremendous form, winning five of their last five, scoring 19 and conceding none in that time.
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So, can City claim victory against their rivals on Saturday? We simulated the clash to find out. To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that City could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Dias, Ake; Rodri, De Bruyne, Gundogan; Mahrez, Alvarez, Grealish.
We predict that Jurgen Klopp's side could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson; Jota, Gakpo, Nunez; Salah.
City were dealt a bad hand in the opening stages of the game, with Ruben Dias being sent off in the 14th minute for a cynical last-man challenge as Mohamed Salah charged through on goal. There was no arguing over the decision, and despite being a man down, City took the lead just before the break through Jack Grealish.
Leading a counterattack, Rodri surged forward from midfield with options either side. Grealish made a smart run to get the wrong side of Trent Alexander-Arnold, and after latching onto Rodri's through ball, the forward drilled his strike into the net to make it 1-0.
The goal came from City's only shot of the half, with Liverpool controlling most of the game following the red card. But, just six minutes after the restart Grealish notched a second as City gained a strong lead.
A short corner from Grealish saw himself and Kevin De Bruyne advance into the box, with Liverpool failing to put the duo under pressure. As Grealish received the ball back from his teammate inside the area, the Englishman fired a powerful effort past Alisson at the near post.
Two goals down, the Reds were shellshocked, and in the 55th minute, City made it 3-0, with Julian Alvarez tapping Riyad Mahrez's dragged shot into the far corner after squeezing in between the Liverpool centre-backs. All of a sudden, City were in full control, and in the 67th minute, they grabbed a fourth as they continued to run riot.
A one-two between Kevin De Bruyne and Alvarez saw the Belgian find some space in the box, and with a sight of goal, the City captain fired across goal and into the bottom corner. Liverpool grabbed two goals in the final 10 minutes to halve the deficit, but it didn't prove dangerous, and City emerged victorious.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: City 4-2 Liverpool
Here are the full-time match stats:
FIFA 23 predicts that City could pick up a big win against Liverpool, winning 4-2 in the simulation. No Haaland, no problem for Guardiola's side, with Grealish starring on the left in an emphatic win.
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