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The axiom that you throw the form table out of the window in rivalry and derby games will be severely tested this weekend.
Manchester City versus Liverpool at Anfield has been one of the calendar games of the season for the past eight years and there’s no clearer FUBO game of the week than this.
Liverpool is the only team to break the Manchester City monopoly as champions in the past seven years. City has won the past four, then Liverpool won one, and City the two before that.
Sunday’s match can have a monumental impact on the story of this season and in their rivalry. City is coming off a 4-0 loss at home to Spurs last week, have lost three league games in a row and already sit eight points back of Liverpool, which has lost just once this season.
A Liverpool win and — you’d never say never when it comes to Manchester’s blue boys — but City would be 11 points back and thrust further into turmoil. But a Liverpool loss and all of a sudden City is rejuvenated, the gap will be just five and Liverpool would still have to go and play at Manchester City in the second half of the season.
This, plainly, is massive. Two years ago, City reeled in Arsenal, which had an eight-point lead, to win the title yet again, but 11 points with Liverpool playing so well may be a bridge too far.
City’s fall from grace has been such that when you look at who Brighton, Chelsea and Arsenal play this weekend, it’s not unconceivable that should City fall at Anfield, the Sky Blues could be in fifth come the end of the weekend.
But this also is a unique time in the Premier League as December rolls around and the fixtures come thick and fast. The midweek games start and Liverpool faces a difficult trip to Newcastle after City, while the Mancunians host Nottingham Forest.
This City slide is puzzling. Yes, it has suffered the loss of Rodri to a knee injury, but this week the Citizens looked to have righted the ship after a stretch of five straight losses in all competitions.
They were up 3-0 to Feyenoord in Champions League play, but three goals by the Dutch side in the final 30 minutes saw City’s winless run hit six. It would be inconceivable in years past to see City choke on a three-goal lead.
Liverpool, meanwhile dominated Real Madrid at home 2-0 and remain the only team in the new Champions League format to win every game it played. The Reds were rampant and could easily have won the game by three or four and certainly have all the momentum heading into Sunday’s showdown.
The Reds had 67% possession against the reigning European champions and while a couple of late injuries to their sterling defence — Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley both took late knocks — would bring some instability to their back line, the form between Liverpool and City could not be farther apart at this time.
United on a steep learning curve
The start for new Manchester United manager Ruben Amorirm couldn’t have been better. Getting a goal from Marcus Rashford less than 90 seconds into his reign against Ipswich was a beginning he could have only dreamed about.
But that was it.
Ipswich, which was just promoted this season, got level, limited United’s opportunities and frankly were unlucky not to get the win.
Yes, Amorim is bringing in a new system, playing with three centre backs, but you’d like to think with the high-priced talent United has and an emotional spike from a new coach, that beating a team like Ipswich would have been the result.
Amorim will find out in the next week really how big his task is. The Red Devils get Everton this weekend, which haven’t scored in three matches but are tough to break down and don’t give up goals easily. And then next Wednesday will be a stiff test at Arsenal.
Sitting 12th is not what the Manchester United supporters will accept. They’re six points out of the Champions League places and they’ve lost the margin of error where they can just expect to lose games to teams like Arsenal.
This will be a big week for Amorim in deciding how much money he will ask for in the January weekend and if this season is salvageable with the players he has on hand.
Arsenal keeping pace
The Gunners broke out of a four-game winless skid last week in a big way with a thorough beating of Nottingham Forest, which lost for just the third time this season.
It was a big win for Arsenal as they have a trip to hostile West Ham this weekend and then get United at home. Not the toughest of games this week, especially on the heels of a rousing 5-1 win against Sporting CP (Amorim’s old team) in the Champions League.
The prospect of keeping up with the leaders will be huge. Yes, they can pass Manchester City this weekend, but it’s fair to say Arsenal has had enough of playing for second and currently sit nine points back of leaders Liverpool.
Normally, you’d think Arsenal would want a draw so both teams drop points, but with Liverpool being so far ahead, it’s fair to say they’ll probably be pulling for City win on Sunday.
One other note about the Gunners: Teenage midfielder Ethan Nwaneri came on last weekend and scored his first goal for the club. At just 17, he’s still raw, but didn’t look out of place and looks to be a great talent. Remember his name, he looks like he’s a real one.
Not so Spursy
The saying when Tottenham do something silly, like blowing a big lead or getting a key player sent off and dropping a big match is ‘that’s so Spursy.’
Last weekend was not Spursy. At all. Beating Manchester City, under any conditions is a big achievement. Doing it in Manchester is another, but doing it 4-0 is stunning.
Spurs haven’t looked great this season, they’ve been very up and down as evidenced by them losing at home to Ipswich before beating City away.
But hopefully this can ignite something for Tottenham. It’s only three points out of the top four and have a couple of interesting games: Fulham at home then Bournemouth away in this next week.
Spurs have scored the most goals in the Premier League this season with 27 and only Liverpool has a better goal difference. If they can keep on scoring and find a little more defensive consistency, then they’ll be in play amongst the bushel of teams fighting for those Champions League spots.
This week’s slate
Friday: Brighton v. Southampton.
Saturday: Brentford v. Leicester; Crystal Palace v. Newcastle; Nottingham Forest v. Ipswich; Wolves v. Bournemouth; West Ham v. Arsenal.
Sunday: Chelsea v. Aston Villa; Manchester United v. Everton; Tottenham v. Fulham; Liverpool v. Manchester City.
Tuesday: Ipswich v. Crystal Palace; Leicester v. West Ham.
Wednesday: Everton v. Wolves; Manchester City v. Nottingham Forest; Newcastle v. Liverpool; Southampton v. Chelsea; Arsenal v. Manchester United; Aston Villa v. Brentford.
Thursday: Fulham v. Brighton; Bournemouth v. Tottenham.