Sky Sports expert Paul Merson has highlighted the critical nature of this Sunday’s match between Liverpool and Manchester City for the Reds' manager Andoni Iraola. The Arsenal legend believes the hosts cannot afford to drop points to the league leaders if they are serious about their title ambitions.
The start of the season for Liverpool under Iraola has been mixed. They secured wins against Bournemouth and Ipswich Town but have also drawn three times — against Fulham, Nottingham Forest, and Newcastle. With just 9 points from 15 available, they find themselves trailing City by six points, with the visitors boasting a perfect record after five matches.
Merson has cautioned that a defeat at home would extend their deficit to a concerning nine points:
This is a massive match for Andoni Iraola. If you draw with Manchester City as Bournemouth’s manager, it’s a great result. But if you’re leading Liverpool and fail to beat City at home, especially with Erling Haaland absent, that becomes a headline event. It’ll be another home game without a win. I really like this manager; he’s top-notch, and let’s remember that at Bournemouth, they clinched victory later than anyone in their debut season and then achieved the unthinkable. The pressure is serious for him; he needs that first home win and will be more than happy if Haaland isn’t on the pitch.
The analyst also elaborated on the psychological and competitive implications of a possible nine-point gap:
You definitely don’t want to fall nine points behind. Sure, the season has only just kicked off and there are many matches ahead, but looking up at Manchester City with a nine-point deficit is a grim situation. Liverpool need to be aggressive; they must go out and play for the win to prevent any further gap. Nine points is a massive distance. If we were sitting in the studio before the season discussing the favourite and I was offered Manchester City with a nine-point handicap over the others, I’d take it without hesitation. I would even prefer City over Arsenal in that scenario, although I believe Arsenal will win the title with relative ease.
This is a game they cannot afford to lose. As the season unfolds, players will adapt to the manager's demands. I hope Florian Wirtz finds his form; I’m a big fan of his, but he hasn’t hit peak fitness yet. Once the manager instills confidence in him and establishes team chemistry, Liverpool will be on a path to challenge at the top.
