Liverpool’s busy fixture schedule is not letting up as the Reds face a trip to Man City on Sunday.

After the dust has settled on Wednesday’s visit to Aston Villa, it has begun to look like a point gained at Villa Park rather than two lost.

However, if Liverpool fail to win a third away match in a row at City, alarm bells may start to ring for some in the fan base.

The Reds have a terrible record away to the Premier League champions, though, having not beaten them at the Etihad Stadium since 2015.

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Arne Slot will be desperate to put that right on Sunday, as Liverpool look to do the double over a beleaguered looking City.

And having seen Pep Guardiola’s team humbled against Real Madrid in midweek, pundit Paul Merson has backed Liverpool to ‘rip City apart’ at the Etihad.

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In years gone by, this was the big one for Liverpool.

A trip to face City at the Etihad was regularly a title decider.

Had the Reds won – or even drawn – on Man City turf back in 2019, for example, they would have ended the year as invincible Premier League champions.

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If they had managed to better their 2-2 draw in 2022, they would have also ended up winning the title.

This year is different, and City no longer carry the same aura having been beaten seven times in the Premier League already this season.

And writing for Sportskeeda, Merson says he’s expecting Liverpool to make that eight in style on Sunday.

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“I think Liverpool will rip City apart here,” says the former Arsenal midfielder.

“If Liverpool fail to win, they will be extremely disappointed.

City looked extremely slow against Real Madrid and given how Liverpool play, the Reds will be too quick for Pep Guardiola’s men.”

While it is dangerous to predict Liverpool to have things all their own way at City, they are clearly the side in the ascendency here.

As bad as they have been, though, there is still a chance that the champions raise their game with Liverpool in town.

That would not be a surprise at all.

SeasonCompetitionResult2020/21Premier League1-12021/22Premier League2-22022/23Carabao Cup3-2 (L)2022/23Premier League4-1 (L)2023/24Premier League1-1Liverpool’s last five at the Etihad

For Slot, he’s going to have to decipher the best XI to put out while also maintaining a semblance of freshness for Wednesday’s visit of Newcastle.

According to Merson, any team the Liverpool head coach puts out simply has to feature Diogo Jota at centre-forward.

“Liverpool should start Diogo Jota with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah either side of him,” he says.
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