Copyright GIVEMESPORT
Liverpool have had a tough season so far after being crowned Premier League champions, but results in recent weeks have suggested their may be light at the end of the tunnel. After a run of six defeats in seven games, Arne Slot's side have now won their last two following big wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid at Anfield, and both without conceding a goal. Now, the champions travel to Manchester to take on rivals Man City in a game that could decide who Arsenal's biggest challengers are for the crown come May, and that means the manager can't afford to get his team selection wrong as he has done previously. The blueprint to beat Pep Guardiola's side is out there, and has been for a while. Get pace to run in behind, press high, force turnovers in their half, and be clinical in front of goal, while also being difficult to break down in defence. For Liverpool, despite his recent promising performances, that means Florian Wirtz must find himself on the bench once again. Arne Slot Must Axe Florian Wirtz and Start Cody Gakpo After joining from Bayer Leverkusen in a then-club-record deal worth £116m during the summer, many fans and pundits immediately made Liverpool favourites to retain their championship for the upcoming campaign. But so far, the German international has managed no goals or assists in any of his ten appearances in the Premier League, and has been described as 'having an awful time'. In fact, across 952 minutes of action in all competitions, Wirtz has only managed two assists, and they both came during the 5-1 win over Bundesliga opposition in Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League. That may well be a coincidence, but if Slot wants to keep the good feeling at Anfield going into the international break, then he can't take the risk of another dry performance from the 22-year-old, and he should bench him at the Etihad Stadium. Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike are almot certain of their starting spots for the game, while Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch as a midfield three seems to be Slot's best bet. That leaves the left-wing open, and Cody Gakpo's performances this season, and his skillset, mean he should get the nod. The Netherlands international has scored four goals and registered three assists in all competitions for the Reds this season, including three goals in the Premier League, two of which came against Chelsea and Manchester United. He's proven at the top level, it's his natural position and he works well against the weaknesses of the opposition. There may be some big question marks raised if Wirtz is named on the bench, but Slot must ignore all the noise and go with what he knows works best.
