Premier League
Sunday 3rd February 2013
The Emirates
Nothing to lose, everything to gain. Having spurned the opportunity to steal a march on our opponents with what happened late on Wednesday night against Arsenal, normally I'd be looking for an immediate response. Failing to win makes victory in the next game that much more important. Unfortunately this game is being played at the home of the champions.
Things are by no means rosy for Manchester City and there's far more of a case to be made - in terms of form - that we're capable of getting a result today than there was against Arsenal. I just feel like we had our chance for the big win and it's incredibly unlikely even given our proclivity for playing well in the big games. A couple of factors to contend with in this game, primarily the fact that there is no way City will defend quite as badly as Arsenal did. They will be missing Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure which is a massive boost for us as they are by far their best to players but I do wonder just how much that performance at the Emirates took out of us, especially given the fact that the same eleven are more or less who will be playing.
Despite it having seemed to have paid off, I hope Brendan Rodgers decides to play Suarez in a more central role today. His workrate as ever was noteworthy but with the players that Man City are missing we'll need him down the middle to take advantage. Daniel Sturridge could be switched with him on the flank but I'd rather play the way we set up against Norwich as it will help having as much of a threat as possible without going gung ho and having no control of the middle of the park like we did at Oldham.
Things could have been so different if Martin Skrtel hadn't had that horrible moment earlier on in the season against Manchester City. Who knows what would have happened in the aftermath of that game, whether we'dve gone on to greater things and be right in amongst it all or it would have been another in a long list of false dawns. For better or worse, it would have been victory over a top side, which is becoming something of a monkey Brendan Rodgers is having trouble shaking off. Any chance we could go one further then this time? Stranger things have happened.
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