Liverpool have been handed a major boost ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Manchester City. The recent round of injury updates have confirmed that Joel Matip could be in contention to start against Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday.
After being named on the bench against Atalanta, Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to see enough from the Cameroonian in training to deploy him alongside Joe Gomez at the weekend. Indeed, whilst youngster Rhys Williams has done a superb job of stepping up to the plate, familiarity and seniority will be key for Klopp against City.
The Cityzens are without star striker Sergio Aguero, which already weakens Guardiola’s attack. Despite their 3-0 win over Olympiakos last time out, their recent Premier League form proves they are struggling.
City have fallen victim to some shock results over the last few weeks, including a draw against both West Ham and Leeds. In their last four league games, they have scored just four goals – one per match. This stat in itself will have taken Klopp’s fancy and he will be looking for ways to further force his rivals into trouble.
With both Gomez and Matip in the heart of the defence, they will make it their mission to ensure that City barely get a sniff of a chance. Matip’s 6 ft 4 stature will prove difficult for 5 ft 7 Gabriel Jesus and 5 ft 5 Raheem Sterling to counter against, especially if long balls are played in towards the attackers.
The Cameroon international uses his height to his advantage and is very strong both in the air and on the ground when battling for possession. Last year, Ian Wright waxed lyrical over the 29-year-old and his “absolutely brilliant” performance against Sheffield United.
If he pulls off a solid shift on Sunday, Klopp and many others will feel a huge sense of relief knowing that he is up to the challenge of stepping up in the absence of Virgil van Dijk. A win over their main title competitors will be a massive boost for Liverpool, who are already making strides towards their second Premier League success story.
In other news, Exclusive: Chris Kirkland tips Joe Gomez to be Virgil van Dijk partner for “next 10 years”…
