Liverpool vs Man City: The Anfield warning Enzo Maresca cannot afford to ignore
Liverpool will welcome Manchester City to Anfield this Sunday in one of the Premier League’s biggest early-season fixtures, with Andoni Iraola’s side facing an unbeaten City team that has made a perfect start to the campaign.
Enzo Maresca has overseen five wins from five league games since taking charge at the Etihad, but his side’s trip to Merseyside represents a significant test of their title credentials.
However, history suggests the visitors could be in for a difficult afternoon.
Manchester City's Anfield curse
Only at Highbury have the Sky Blues recorded a worse Premier League points-per-game average than at Anfield, collecting just 0.59 points per game across 29 visits.
Their last 10 league trips to the ground have produced just two victories, with five defeats and three draws.
For all City’s dominance elsewhere, Anfield has consistently proved an uncomfortable destination for the Sky Blues.
Their new Italian in charge has experienced that difficulty himself. During his time as Chelsea manager, Maresca faced Liverpool three times in the Premier League, winning both home fixtures but losing on his only visit to Anfield.
His impressive start in Manchester suggests he has the tools to challenge for the biggest prizes, but overcoming Liverpool on their own turf will require something special.
The irony of City's first game after guilty verdict
On top of the hostile atmopshere the visiting crowd usually face in a high-stakes game at Anfield, this Sunday's edition will have an added spark.
It is ironic that Manchester City's first match following the bombshell 'guilty on all charges' verdict surrounding the club's financial-rule breaches will be a trip to Liverpool, a club that has plenty of reason to feel aggrieved by the outcome of their title battles during the period under scrutiny.
The fallout from the legal explosion has ensured that the Cityzens can expect an even more hostile atmosphere than usual on Merseyside.
For Maresca, the challenge will be ensuring that the noise surrounding the club does not distract his players from the task at hand.
Liverpool desperate for revenge
The Reds have not lost at home since the clubs last met in February, when a memorable Dominik Szoboszlai free kick put Liverpool ahead with 15 minutes remaining before City struck twice in the closing stages to snatch all three points.
Back at Anfield, Iraola's side will be desperate to exact revenge.
This could prove the Spaniard's first major examination as Liverpool manager, with an unbeaten City arriving in formidable form. A victory would send a statement to the rest of the Premier League and move Liverpool within three points of their rivals at the top of the table.
However, the home side will have to cope without both Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak, with Iraola confirming that the pair will miss the fixture.
The absences are significant. Liverpool have scored seven Premier League goals this season, five of which have come from the Dutchman and the Swedish striker combined. Finding alternative sources of goals will be crucial if the Reds are to take advantage of home support and City's historical struggles at the ground.
Players such as Szoboszlai and Liverpool's other attacking options will need to step up, particularly against a side that has looked ruthless in front of goal during the opening weeks.
The landscape of Liverpool versus Manchester City has changed since the defining battles between Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, with Maresca and Iraola now beginning to shape the next chapter of this rivalry.
Yet one thing has remained constant: Anfield is a daunting place for any manager to visit, and it is a warning Maresca cannot afford to ignore.
