Jurgen Klopp faces one of the biggest selection decisions of his Liverpool tenure as the Reds travel to Manchester City for a potential Premier League title decider on Sunday.
Man City sit top of the table on 73 points after 30 games, but Liverpool are just a point behind after reeling in Pep Guardiola's defending champions in recent weeks. Guardiola admits that he cannot see Liverpool dropping many - if any - more points this season, so the title could well come down to who comes out on top at the Etihad in a genuine Super Sunday battle.
Liverpool have chased down City in remarkable fashion, winning their last 10 League games in a row while also battling on three other fronts. Having already lifted the Carabao Cup this season, Klopp's men are still on course for an unprecedented quadruple, thanks in no small part to a devastating attack.
While an embarrassment of riches up front has allowed Klopp to expertly rotate his players to keep fighting for every trophy available, the manager will have to make some tough decisions for the trip to Manchester. Star forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are not in scintillating form, while the likes of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz - initially expected to be competent understudies to a fearsome front three of Salah, Mane and Roberto Firmino - are now both making powerful cases to be automatic starters.
Salah is expected to sign a new £400,000-a-week deal to stay at Anfield, though speculation regarding his future, coupled with the double disappointment of Egypt losing the African Cup of Nations and also missing out on the World Cup - have seen him off his best of late. Mane is also going through something of a tricky spell, so Klopp has a massive call: does he keep his faith in Salah's world-class ability, or does he turn to in-form forwards desperate to impress on the biggest stage? And will a huge contract extension have repercussions next season? We asked David Maddock and David Anderson the key questions ahead of a mammoth clash in Manchester...
Would - and should - Klopp drop Salah against Manchester City?
Anderson: Yes. Salah’s loss of form is more than just a blip now. He’s scored just once in his last seven appearances for Liverpool - and that was a penalty against Brighton. He looked well off colour before he was subbed against Watford and Benfica and is clearly struggling. Jurgen Klopp has spoken about the physical and emotional toll of losing Egypt’s World Cup play-off and Salah has had to carry the hopes of his nation on his shoulders. He clearly needs a breather and to be taken out of the firing line. Klopp could then bring him on against City and what a substitute he would be!
Maddock: In typical pundit fashion, I’m going to offer a yes and no answer! This isn’t Match of the Day style sitting on the fence though…Klopp WOULD drop Mo Salah, without absolutely a second thought, IF he believed his selection was the right one to deliver victory. The question of whether he SHOULD drop Salah though, is very different. Undoubtedly, he is struggling, his performance in Lisbon against Benfica was the worst I’ve seen him play in a long, long time, and since he returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, he has seemed to lack confidence - and touch - in front of goal.
This is a particular game that demands a particular skillset - put simply, mental strength. It’s massive, To win it, Liverpool will need not only the experience of these unbelievably tense games, but also the knowledge of exactly what each player needs to do. Salah is used to the pressure, seems to thrive on it, and if ever there is a game which could kickstart him, it is this one. There is another reason why he should play. If Liverpool are to win more trophies this season, they will need Mo Salah at the top of his goalscoring form. You can’t see them winning every match without his dazzling penalty area skills. Drop him, and you could crush his confidence - so yes, it is a risk to select a player so obviously out of form, but a risk Klopp needs to take.
Who should be in Klopp’s line-up - and who can he afford to leave out?
Anderson: The fact that Diogo Jota began on the bench against Benfica suggests he will start against City. Luiz Diaz’s form means he should also start, leaving it between Salah and Sadio Mane for the third striking berth. That sounds bonkers to suggest leaving one of those two superstars out, but Diaz and Jota are ahead of them - and Roberto Firmino - on form. Mane also looked out of sorts against Benfica and failed to retain possession too many times. But he did score and should get the nod ahead of Salah. The rest of the team picks itself now that Trent Alexander-Arnold is fully fit.
Maddock: I’ve detailed precisely why Klopp should go for Salah, and the same applies to the rest of Liverpool’s traditional front three under Klopp: Salah-Firnino-Mane. It is so familiar for a reason - because the trio are so familiar with each other, and with the rest of the team too. They have honed what they do tactically and technically, both offensively and defensively, to such an extent that it is almost automatic. Yes Luis Diaz is exciting, and yes on his form in Lisbon he deserves to be selected. But has he played in a game like this before? Better to keep his pace and energy in reserve, on the unlikely chance ever-ready City tire in the second half. The rest of the team virtually picks itself, with Thiago’s ball retention giving him the edge over Keita.
Anderson's XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho; Mane, Jota, Diaz
Maddock's XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Firmino, Mane
Have Your Say! Who would you pick for Liverpool vs Man City? Join the debate here.
Does a £400,000-a-week contract make Salah undroppable next season?
Anderson: Of course not! Imagine the damage that could do to team morale if Salah was again struggling for form and Klopp told the rest of the team ‘I can’t drop him because he’s on £400,000-a-week’. Salah’s world-class ability means this is the first time his starting position has been questioned in his five years at Anfield. If, and when, he signs his new deal he will continue to be judged like every other player and it would be an insult to Jurgen Klopp to suggest he would give him favourable treatment.
Maddock: Of course it doesn’t. For a start, if he signs a new deal, then it is likely to be less than that, because Liverpool won’t break their pay structure. He will - of course - have an eye-watering salary if he does sign though, but that doesn’t make him undroppable. Raheem Sterling has an eye-watering salary and he is regularly rested. So too Jack Grealish, as are many of City’s highly paid stars. Liverpool are moving towards that model, an incredibly powerful squad with players rotating, and no instantly recognisable first XI. So he’s not undroppable now, and he won’t be undroppable in the future.
