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Liverpool face a vital trip to the Etihad this weekend as they chase their second Premier League title. The Reds are eight points clear of Arsenal but they have played a game more ahead of this weekend's meeting with Manchester City. And after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Aston Villa on Wednesday night, the Gunners now have the chance to close in. Arsenal play before Liverpool travel to City, meaning the gap can be reduced to only five points by Sunday. That makes taking on the Premier League champions a daunting task, even if City are nowhere close to their best this year. Pep Guardiola's men are now looking to seal Champions League football for next season after crashing out of Europe in midweek. However, heading into this one, they are facing some defensive problems, while Liverpool are likely to be missing a key player. After losing the number one spot briefly, Ederson is back between the sticks as Guardiola's first-choice goalkeeper. Rico Lewis should maintain a spot at right-back after Kyle Walker's January departure, although Abdukodir Khusanov started against Real Madrid on Wednesday. However, Khusanov is likely to have to return to centre-back this weekend after John Stones suffered an injury. Stones was substituted early on in Spain and now joins Manuel Akanji on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake missed the 4-0 win over Newcastle United with muscle tightness. But Dias was back in the Champions League and will likely start again while Ake is also fit, meaning he could feature too while Josko Gvardiol has made left-back his own. Nico Gonzalez's arrival has finally added some midfield balance to the City side without Rodri, so he's likely to start. Then, alongside him, there is a straight fight between Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic. Kevin De Bruyne played no part as City were knocked out of the Champions League, meaning he'll be fresh for this one. On the right, there is the potential to opt for the pace and trickery of Savinho or perhaps the guile and craftsmanship of Bernardo Silva. Phil Foden can also play on either wing, but he will be in contention to be used down the middle. Omar Marmoush scored a hat-trick against the Toon last weekend and is also a strong contender. Marmoush may also end up leading the line with Erling Haaland a major doubt for this huge game. Haaland remained on the bench all game against Real with a knock sustained against Newcastle and that has raised concerns over whether he'll be fit enough to start this Sunday. Guardiola will now have a huge decision to make when it comes to risking his superstar striker or not. For Arne Slot's men, Alisson Becker will be in goal. Ibrahima Konate was taken off at half-time against Wolves last weekend, but he started again against Aston Villa, so he should continue to partner Virgil van Dijk. Joe Gomez has been ruled out for the majority of the season with a hamstring injury, meaning Jarell Quansah is the only other first-team centre-back. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson will be the full-backs, with Conor Bradley picking up a slight knock. Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister have become undroppable in the middle of the pitch. Mohamed Salah is certain to be on the right while Dominik Szoboszlai should be in behind the striker again. Cody Gakpo is a doubt after missing the game in midweek, so Luis Diaz will most likely be on the left, replacing Curtis Jones who started out wide last time out. It leaves Darwin Nunez or Diogo Jota for options up front and after Nunez's horrendous miss at Villa Park, Jota should get the nod. This Premier League game is set to take place on Sunday, February 23. Kick-off at the Etihad is scheduled for 4: 30pm. The match will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League. Sky Go customers will be able to stream through their laptops and mobile devices. Alternatively, a NOW TV pass can me purchased. More details on the options here. talk SPORT will have updates throughout the afternoon, and talk SPORT. com will have all the action through our dedicated Premier League blog. © 2025 talk SPORT Limited

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