Paul Merson says Liverpool have a ‘nightmare’ to deal with this week

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Liverpool having to play Manchester City immediately after an international break is a ‘nightmare’ for Jurgen Klopp.

That’s the view of former England midfielder Paul Merson. Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Saturday’s meeting between last season’s Premier League top two, Merson claimed that neither Klopp nor Pep Guardiola will be happy with the scheduling.

“It’s a nightmare game for both Man City and Liverpool to have so soon after the international break,” said the pundit. “It’s a huge game and it does work the same way for both teams.

“Both managers don’t have the time they would like to work on things ahead of the game and you also have to wait for the players to get back to see who may or may not be fit. It’s not ideal and it may be that whoever copes with the disruption better may come out on top.

“But the pressure is on Man City. They cannot afford to lose. They cannot even afford to draw.”

Liverpool in unfamiliar territory

There’s a little bit of a strange feeling for Liverpool heading into Saturday’s clash at the Etihad. The Reds are no strangers to playing City on their own turf in April, it seems to happen every season, that’s fine.

But usually there’s a little more riding on the game, for Liverpool at least. This time last year, the two sides met in a top-of-the-table battle on April 10th.

With a point the difference between them, it was billed as a winner takes all meeting. In the end, neither side won and City maintained their point lead until the final whistle of the season.

This time around though, things are very different. Not only are Liverpool nowhere near their hosts in a title challenge, but City are also under extreme pressure to retain their crown. As Merson points out, there is a huge weight on Guardiola and his team. Already eight points behind Arsenal, they can’t afford to slip up here.

With the onus all on their hosts and with no title on the line, perhaps Liverpool can play with a little more freedom at the Etihad. They’ve already shown that they can beat City despite not being at their best this season. The Sky Blues are definitely without Phil Foden and could also be missing Erling Haaland.

So, maybe the timing is actually ideal for Liverpool to get a first Etihad win since 2016. All eyes on Saturday.