Manchester City vs Liverpool is one of those fixtures that everyone looks for when the Premier League fixtures are revealed before the start of the new season.
The two northwest sides have sparked up an enthralling rivalry in recent years, and clashes between the two sides often live up to expectations.
The first meeting between the Sky Blues and the Reds is set to take place at the Etihad Stadium on November 25, and Pep Guardiola’s table-toppers are the favourites if you’re looking for a Man City v Liverpool bet.
Anything can happen when these sides go head-to-head, however. So, let’s take a look at four players — two from each team — who could prove to be the game-changer in this fixture.
Erling Haaland – Manchester City
Where better to start than with Man City’s talisman Erling Haaland?
The Norwegian wonder broke the Premier League goalscoring record with 36 goals in his first season in a Manchester City shirt last year, and he’s off to a flying start with 13 strikes in 12 games this campaign.
Haaland doesn’t have a fantastic record against Liverpool, with just one goal in five games against the Reds. However, the 23-year-old will certainly be favoured to score in this game in the football betting odds.
Mohamed Salah – Liverpool
After talking about Haaland, it seems only right to follow up with Liverpool’s Egyptian King Mohamed Salah.
Many claimed that the 31-year-old’s 19 goals and 12 assists last season were below the bar of expectation for Salah, but that’s still a very impressive tally for any elite player in one of the best leagues in the world.
The Liverpool forward has 14 goal contributions (10 goals and four assists) in 12 games at the time of writing, and often rises to the challenge against Man City with 11 goals and five assists in 19 games.
Jeremy Doku – Manchester City
With a long list of Manchester City stars to choose from, it might come as something of a surprise that Jeremy Doku features over the likes of Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva.
However, the 21-year-old is thriving under Guardiola after arriving at the Etihad from Rennes for £55 million in August — and some are even stating he is one of the best youngsters in the world.
It’s hard to argue against that, and with his stunning performance against Bournemouth recently — when he scored and assisted four times in the 6-1 win over the Cherries — Doku might just have earned a starting spot against Liverpool.
Dominik Szoboszlai – Liverpool
Another young player who is garnering plenty of attention since arriving in England this summer is Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai.
The Hungarian has arguably had more flash-in-the-pan moments than perhaps been a consistent performer week-in, week-out for the Reds. But he does have one goal, two assists, and created four big chances in 11 games.
A big performance in a big game like this could be a breakthrough moment for Szoboszlai, and a good game from the 23-year-old could see him kick on and become a key player in the Liverpool starting XI.