Ding, ding, ding it’s the clash of the titans as Liverpool host Manchester City on Sunday with the Reds seeking to deal a deadly blow to Pep Guardiola’s Premier League title hopes.
Arne Slot is making challenging for the top-flight title look easy with Liverpool already eight points clear at the summit and arguably fitting the bill as the world’s best team.
While City are reeling from three consecutive Premier League defeats – a first for Guardiola – Liverpool are loving life and come into the weekend’s Anfield showdown in the rare position as heavy favourites.
The Reds are scoring for fun at the moment and City are conceding just as easily, but if ever there was a time to flex their reigning champion muscles then a trip to Merseyside is the perfect occasion to do so.
But which stars makes a combined XI of these two giants, with all eyes on Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland as the title rivals go head-to-head for what promises to be another famous battle.
Here, Mail Sport makes the painstaking selections so you don’t have to.
Liverpool head into Sunday’s clash against Man City as favourites at the top of the league
Man City have lost their last three Premier League matches ahead of travelling to Liverpool
City go in search of their first win in seven matches amid the worst run of form of Pep Guardiola’s career
Goalkeeper: Ederson
The Man City goalkeeper has struggled in recent games but still just edges out Caoimhin Kelleher who has been brilliant in stepping up to the plate for Liverpool in the absence of Alisson.
Ederson had interest from Saudi Pro League clubs in the summer but decided to stay in England and City would find themselves in an even more precarious position if it wasn’t for the Brazilian’s 28 saves this season.
Liverpool could look to target Ederson’s ball-claiming ability when crosses are put into the box with him making only three high claims across 12 games this season, but he is one of the league’s best sweeper keepers and will possibly force the Reds to opt against playing balls in behind.
Ederson has been let down by his defence in recent games and adding to his two clean-sheets looks like an almost impossible task against Liverpool.
The Man City goalkeeper has struggled in recent games but still just edges ahead in the combined XI
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold
The England full-back has starred under Slot this season and while his future at Liverpool may be up in the air with Real Madrid looming, his place in this combined XI isn’t.
Alexander-Arnold looks rejuvenated under the new Reds boss, improving defensively and being an ever-present danger when Liverpool go on the attack with his passes unlocking some of the league’s best defences.
Kyle Walker has previously been widely-regarded as the Premier League’s best but he has endured a stark drop-off in recent weeks, losing his pace and tactically being all over the shop like the rest of City’s mismanaged defence.
Liverpool can move 11 points clear of City with victory at Anfield and Alexander-Arnold has a massive role to play in achieving that.
Trent Alexander-Arnold looks rejuvenated under Arne Slot with Liverpool top of the league
CB: Virgil van Dijk
A leader in Liverpool’s defence and arguably the best defender in the Premier League this season, Van Dijk looks to be back to his best as the Reds take control of the title race.
The Dutchman has previously got the best of Erling Haaland, often winning their combative physical battles and being a huge figure in keeping Liverpool’s back-line organised.
Van Dijk has started every Premier League and Champions League fixtures this season with Liverpool top of both competition standings and he has been integral in keeping nine sheets.
His one-v-one defending looks to be as strong as ever and on current form you expect Van Dijk to be heading into Sunday’s massive match expecting to come out on top.
Virgil van Dijk is a leader in Liverpool’s defence and arguably the best defender in the Premier League this season
CB: Ruben Dias
Dias gets the nod in our combined XI alongside Van Dijk and just edges ahead of Ibrahima Konate, who has admittedly been a brilliant centre-back partner for the Liverpool captain this season.
The City star is often tasked with organising the team’s defence and offers robust tackling alongside pinpoint ball-playing abilities that lay the foundation for City to transition quickly and effectively.
Dias has made 117 tackles this season and boasts a challenge success rate of 59 per cent that puts him amongst the league’s elite defenders – even if City’s form leaves much to be desired.
The Portuguese could have a huge role to play against Liverpool’s free-flowing attack and it would be no surprise to see him add to his three goal-line clearances on Sunday.
Ruben Dias is often tasked with organising the Man City’s defence and offers robust tackling alongside pinpoint ball-playing abilities
LB: Josko Gvardiol
Andy Robertson has been brilliant for Liverpool this season but he is unable to unseat City’s Croatian who remains one of their better performers despite the team’s torrid run of form.
Gvardiol is loved by City fans for both his attacking and defensive contributions with three goals this season putting him amongst the highest scoring defenders in the Premier League.
Guardiola views Gvardiol as his mainstay left-back and while he is excellent in isolated situations, he can at times be drawn out of position and is prone to the odd error with City’s three consecutive league defeats providing great examples.
Salah could give the versatile defender a nightmare time at the weekend and Gvardiol knows he is in for arguably the toughest game of the season.
Josko Gvardiol is loved by City fans for both his attacking and defensive contributions with three goals this season putting him amongst the highest scoring defenders
CM: Dominik Szoboszlai
The Hungarian played higher up the pitch in attack under Jurgen Klopp while Slot is using him in a greater holding role that is proving to be a core element of Liverpool’s early-season success.
Szoboszlai typically starts the biggest of fixtures in a three-man midfield alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Gravenberch, with Slot trusting him to turnover possession quickly and put crosses into the box from deep.
He also possesses a lethal strike from range and will undoubtedly be lurking on the edge of the box when Liverpool go on the attack against City and won’t think twice about smashing an effort towards goal, even if his shooting accuracy of 29 per cent leaves room for improvement.
It would be no surprise to see him sit deeper than usual against City with Liverpool’s defence often using him as the out-ball when under pressure from the press.
Dominik Szoboszlai typically starts the biggest of fixtures for Liverpool in a three-man midfield
CM: Bernardo Silva
Silva, like the majority of City’s squad, is facing a confidence crisis but on his best days he has the skills to dribble past an entire defence and bend a shot into the top corner – that is what Guardiola will be dreaming of on the drive down to Anfield.
The Portuguese thrives in a free role and often runs the show in the absence of Kevin de Bruyne, with Silva making 560 passes this season which comes in at just under 50 per game.
City have won every league game Silva has played in this season and against Liverpool he will be responsible for finding space between defence and attack with Haaland ahead of him trying to run in behind.
Opposition teams struggle to pick Silva up as he pops up in several positions throughout 90 minutes and while he may start in midfield, he will not be restricted as City look to find an early opener.
Bernardo Silva, like the majority of City’s squad, is facing a confidence crisis ahead of facing Liverpool
CM: Ryan Gravenberch
A difficult first season at Anfield looks to be a distant memory for Gravenberch who looks at home playing in a box-to-box midfield role for the Reds, with him now being an integral part of Liverpool’s engine room.
Gravenberch dribbles with purpose through opposition midfields and manages an average of 62 passes per match but is often involved in build-up play rather than providing the final killer pass as his solo league assist this season demonstrates.
His defensive contribution is also equally as impressive with Gravenberch making 23 interceptions across 12 appearances this season and winning 69 duels.
The 22-year-old appears to love playing in Slot’s system and will have to be at his best against a City side hungry for revenge.
A difficult first season at Anfield looks to be a long distant memory for Ryan Gravenberch
RW: Mohamed Salah
Salah is flirting with a summer departure from Liverpool and if he does then Liverpool supporters will desperately miss him in this fixture where he has so often been the difference.
The Egyptian has scored 11 goals against City during his time on Merseyside and unfortunately for Guardiola, he appears to be in a career-best vein of form this season.
Salah loves to isolate full-backs in one-v-one situations and Gvardiol will be the latest to try and win that duel that so often ends with the Liverpool star cutting in and smashing an effort into the top corner.
The Reds star boasts a record of 10 goals and six assists – a Premier League high – and he will be rubbing his hands ahead of facing one of his favourite opponents.
Mohamed Salah has scored 11 goals against City during his time on Merseyside and is in a rich vein of form
LW: Luis Diaz
Pace, power and trickery make Diaz a nightmare for any defence to handle and he is even more dangerous than ever this season with his finishing improving dramatically under Slot.
The Colombian already has five goals this season – just under one every two games – but he could easily have extended that tally if he hadn’t missed three big chances.
He is direct when in possession and rarely looks to play a back-pass, instead often charging at defenders and more times than not coming out on top in those enthralling battles.
Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku don’t lay a finger on Diaz this season and Walker is going to have his work cut out to stop the Liverpool star running wild.
Pace, power and trickery make Liverpool’s Luis Diaz a nightmare for any defence to handle
Erling Haaland might have only scored twice in City’s last seven Premier League outings but is a constant danger
ST: Erling Haaland
He might have only scored twice in City’s last seven Premier League outings, but there is no doubting Haaland remains a terrific goalscorer capable of producing a hat-trick out of nowhere.
The 24-year-old remains the top-flight’s leading scorer this season with 12 goals in 12 games and he has the ability to add to that at Anfield, though confidence may be lacking the confidence when facing Van Dijk.
Haaland has been criticised before for going missing in big fixtures and none come bigger than Sunday with City at risk of letting go of their title defence if they don’t get a result.
City must find a way to create openings for Haaland because he will finish them if even given half a sniff and the Norwegian will be praying Kevin De Bruyne starts in behind him at Anfield.
