Liverpool face a daunting test against Manchester City, Brendan Rodgers is on the brink and Southampton seek to stop the rot
One “freak” result – as Jürgen Klopp put it – has transformed the mood inside Liverpool after they condemned Rangers to the joint-heaviest defeat in their history at Ibrox on Wednesday. The next, and more onerous, challenge is to ensure an emphatic first away win changes the momentum of an inconsistent season. Manchester City and a rested Erling Haaland pose the most formidable threat but the 7-1 win in Glasgow, or certainly the standard of the second-half display, has to be the benchmark for a team that comfortably beat Rangers at Anfield last week before underperforming in defeat at Arsenal. With 13 points separating the two teams who have dominated the title race in recent years, Liverpool cannot afford another false dawn. Their intensity will be key, according to Andy Robertson. “We need to get consistency back into our game, back into our performance,” said the fit-again full-back. “We have to play with that intensity again. At our best we know we can cause problems to any team. Anything below that and it will be a difficult afternoon.” Andy Hunter
Liverpool v Manchester City, Sunday 4.30pm (all times BST)
Manchester United v Newcastle United, Sunday 2pm
Leicester City v Crystal Palace, Saturday 12.30pm
Tottenham Hotspur v Everton, Saturday 5.30pm
Aston Villa v Chelsea, Sunday 2pm
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