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Erling Haaland during Manchester City's clash against Bournemouth(Image: Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Liverpool and Manchester City will renew their rivalry on Sunday when the two meet once again in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium, only this time it is just the Reds who will go into the game fighting for the title.

Arne Slot's side are top of the table on the Dutchman's first trip to the Etihad since taking over from Jurgen Klopp in the summer.

It's been a peculiar campaign in the sense that City, so dominant over the past decade, have dropped away in the title race and find themselves a barely believable 17 points behind the Reds.

Indeed, Pep Guardiola has had to deal with a transitional period for his side, with the loss of form and injury to key players hitting their campaign hard.

And those injury problems haven't really eased throughout the season, with Guardiola set to be without several key men for the clash with Liverpool.

Three players are definitely out the game.

That includes long-term absentee Rodri, whose knee ligament injury suffered early in the season is believed to be a major reason behind City's drop off this term.

Defenders Manel Akanji and John Stones are also missing for City, with both players suffering thigh injuries and the former even needing surgery on the problem.

Youngster Oscar Bobb is expected to be another absentee, having suffered a fractured leg earlier this season and despite returning to training, not featuring in the squad for the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.

But most concerning for Guardiola will be the potential absence of top scorer Erling Haaland, who sat out that chastening defeat in Madrid after suffering a knee issue in the 4-0 win over Newcastle United last weekend.

Guardiola confirmed that he hoped to have Haaland in contention for the match against Liverpool, but could offer no guarantees that the Norway international would be ready to play.

He said: "I don't know yet.

With Erling we're stronger."


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