Shellshocked Man City face the match they dread

Manchester, AP: Pep Guardiola doesn't like going to Anfield at the best of times. “They scare me,” the Manchester City manager said of Liverpool and its prolific, Mohamed Salahled strikeforce during a flyon- the-wall documentary back in 2018, when Guardiola's team was comfortably the finest in England. Just imagine what he is thinking now? Amid the worst run of results in his coaching career, Guardiola probably would prefer any other fixture on the calendar than Liverpool away. But that's what is facing him and his beleaguered defending champions on Sunday in the biggest modern- day Premier League rivalry which, on current form, threatens to be a mismatch.

“It's going to be as tough as it is possible to be,” City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan said, “but that sums up the situation right now.” Indeed, Liverpool and City the league's current top two, separated by eight points are trending in opposite directions. Liverpool not only leads the Premier League but also the 36-team Champions League. It is coming off a win over Real Madrid, and has won 17 of its 19 games in all competitions this season, losing just once. City just squandered a 3-0 lead from the 75th minute to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord, having previously lost five straight games including 4-0 at home to Tottenham.

Guardiola has never lost so many in a row in his coaching career. The team has conceded at least two goals in each of those six games and 17 in total. City is in 17th place in the Champions League standings and might be out of the Premier League top four come Sunday night. Guardiola acknowledged fairly bluntly this week: “We're not able to win games now. As a team, we always found a way to win games ... but right now, nothing happens.” So how have things fallen apart for City, the winner of the last four Premier League titles, so spectacularly?