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2024/25 English Premier League
Matchday 13
Liverpool v Manchester City
Anfield
Liverpool, England
Sunday, 1 December 2024
Kick-off is at 18h00
Arne Slot is looking to set a new
Premier League record when his table-topping LIverpool host Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday, December 1 in the late kick-off.
The Dutchman recorded the 10th win of his tenure as the Reds beat Southampton 3-2 at St Mary's on November 24 to go eight points clear at the summit.
Slot is now tied with Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti for reaching 10 victories in the opening 12 matches of their respective reigns in England's top flight.
City have dropped well off the pace after losing three consecutive games for the first time under Pep Guardiola - against Bournemouth, Brighton and bogey team Tottenham.
The 4-0 reverse to Spurs at the Etihad Stadium on November 23 also equalled their biggest defeat with Guardiola in charge after Everton beat his side by the same scoreline on 15 January 2017.
Chelsea (3rd), Arsenal (4th) and Albion (5th) all won on matchday 12 to close within a point of the Citizens.
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The hosts remain without Alisson (thigh), Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota (chest), although Trent Alexander-Arnold (thigh) and Konstantinos Tsimikas (knock) could feature against City.
Jeremy Doku (thigh) could come back into contention for the visitors, but Rodri (knee), Oscar Bobb, Ruben Dias (both calf) and Mateo Kovacic miss out once more.
Slot is refusing to get carried away with Liverpool's flying start to the campaign, pointing to last term when City overcame a similar deficit to pip Arsenal to the title as evidence that anything can still happen.
"No, definitely [it's a healthy advantage] but we also know what we have to put into it to get this lead that we have at the moment - and to get these wins," he said.
"I think there were maybe one or two games for us that were wins by a big margin, but the rest of them were all by small margins. We know how difficult it is to win a game and these players have been longer in the Premier League than I have been.
"I think it was last season and even later on in the season that Arsenal led by eight points and [Manchester] City came back, so you know if you face Arsenal, City, Chelsea and all these other teams - Tottenham were great yesterday, as well - they're all able to win so many games in a row.
"It's nice to have this position, but we are definitely not getting carried away."
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Guardiola is confident that the Citizens can still do something special this term and insists it will take commitment to bring an end to their slump.
"I have the feeling that this season we will do very good things," the Spaniard declared. "I don't give up and I have the feeling we will be there.
"I think we deserve some patience when we lose games. You are defending a legacy and that is difficult to handle. What I want is commitment from players to still do what we have to do.
"Look at where we've come from. It's so difficult to defend the success we have had, that's why I'm so relaxed. That is why I want the commitment, the commitment, the commitment and the commitment.
"Just being ourselves isn't enough, we have to show commitment every day. We need to win one game. I want the players to perform well, in certain departments we need more focus. It will pass."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Liverpool wins - 1
Man City wins - 1
Draws - 3
Premier League Matchday 13 fixtures:
Friday, November 29
22h00: Brighton & Hove Albion v Southampton
Saturday, November 30
17h00: Brentford v Leicester City
17h00: Crystal Palace v Newcastle United
17h00: Nottingham Forest v Ipswich Town
17h00: Wolverhampton Wanderers v Bournemouth
19h30: West Ham United v Arsenal
Sunday, December 1
15h30: Chelsea v Aston Villa
15h30: Manchester United v Everton
15h30: Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham
18h00: Liverpool v Manchester City
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