Liverpool prepares for its duel against Manchester City with a lineup that is surprising due to the absence of Dominik Szoboszlai, who has suffered a last-minute hamstring injury. The Hungarian midfielder, who had been a key piece in Andoni Iraola's scheme, will not be able to accompany the "Reds" at the Anfield stadium, where the Premier League team faces the "Citizens" in a match that will mark City's return to the competition after the financial sanctions imposed on them by the league.
Iraola has chosen to start young Welshman Lewis Kounas as a centre-forward, marking his first appearance as a starter for the club. Kounas, 21, is expected to provide speed and dynamism to Liverpool's attack, complementing the squad's usual scorers. In addition, the coach has included Jérémy Jacquet in the central defense, which allows the “Reds” to have a solid axis despite the absences of other players. Among the injuries affecting the team, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo are also sidelined, reducing the number of options up front.
On the Manchester City side, coach Pep Guardiola has decided to leave Josko Gvardiol on the bench and give the opportunity to Nico O'Reilly in defense. O'Reilly, who has shown a solid performance this season, will be the new point of reference on the defensive line. In attack, Erling Haaland continues to lead the group, although the team suffered a 2‑1 defeat against Portugal in the last Nations League match, which adds pressure to the search for positive results in the Premier League.
The meeting is also significant in the context of the financial sanctions that Manchester City faces. The Premier League has found the club guilty of 115 charges of breaching its financial rules, sparking debate over the integrity and sustainability of teams competing in the league. Despite this controversy, City arrives at Anfield with the intention of demonstrating its quality and regaining the trust of its fans.
As for the official lineup, Liverpool has Alisson in goal, Araujo, Van Dijk, Jacquet and Kerkez in defense, Gravenberch and Mac Allister in midfield, and Barcola, Wirtz and Víctor Muñoz up front, with Kounas as central forward. The substitutes include Mamardashvili, Gomez, Endo, Chiesa, Tsimikas, Frimpong, Nyoni, McConnell and Ngumoha. For its part, Manchester City features Donnarumma in goal, Nunes, Dias, Guéhi and O'Reilly in defense, Anderson, Enzo Fernández, Ndiaye, Cherki and Semenyo in midfield, and Haaland up front, with Rulli, Kovacic, Doku, Reis, Gvardiol, Bouaddi, Allan, Khusanov and Lewis as reserves.
With the game scheduled for the next night, both teams will face each other in a duel that promises intensity and spectacle. Liverpool are looking to consolidate their position in the table and demonstrate that Szoboszlai's absence will not affect their offensive capacity, while Manchester City is trying to overcome the restrictions imposed by the league and return to the path of competitiveness in the Premier League.