“I Don’t See How They Stop Them” – Paul Merson Predicts Man City vs Liverpool Score

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has offered his predicted score ahead of Thursday night’s huge Premier League showdown between Manchester City and Liverpool.

Liverpool head in to the pivotal game sitting seven points clear of City at the top of the table after thrashing Arsenal 5-1 at Anfield on Saturday evening so they will be desperate to at least maintain that advantage with a positive result.

A win for Jurgen Klopp’s side would give them a mammoth ten point advantage over the defending champions so it would be almost impossible to see Liverpool blowing such a lead with 17 games to go.

However, a Man City win would reduce the gap to four points and blow the title race wide open so it’s certainly going to be a decisive game in determining where the title ends up this season.

Despite being at home, Merson claims he just can’t see City winning the game as he doesn’t think Pep Guardiola’s side are capable of preventing Liverpool from scoring goals on Thursday night.

The Sky Sports pundit feels City will struggle to cope with the pace of Liverpool’s attack and and Merson is backing the Merseysiders to all-but wrap-up the title with a 3-1 win at the Etihad Stadium.

Writing in his column for Sky Sports, Merson said:

Manchester City vs Liverpool

This might sound silly, but I’d be shocked if Manchester City won this game. I’d be shocked. I just can’t see how they can stop Liverpool from scoring goals. As the game goes on, I just don’t see how Liverpool don’t go on to win it.

My only question of Liverpool would be how they play it. Do they go out and think that if they draw they’ve probably taken Manchester City out of the equation? Or do they go for the jugular and win the Premier League on Thursday night?

If Liverpool lose the game, it’s majorly game on because it’s about how they react after, too, and they wouldn’t be invincible any more, they wouldn’t be quite as good as they thought they were. But I can’t see them not getting anything.

City look all over the place at the back. I don’t really see their shape. They’re great on the ball, but they close down quickly for so long and then drop off and if they do that against Liverpool and they get through one line, they’ve got too much pace for City to deal with.

As the game goes on, City get more open and they’ve struggled with clean sheets recently. Even when they’re 1-0 up and cruising against Southampton, and it’s a walk in the park, Charlie Austin’s through one-on-one and that could change it. They could have had a penalty against them too, I’ve seen lesser penalties given.

Man City have spent millions and millions of pounds, they’re buying full-backs for £50m to play just when they need them to play. You can’t be spending that kind of money and be 10 points behind before the FA Cup third round.

Win the game and go four behind and I think it’s game on, it’s what everyone will be hoping for unless you’re a Liverpool fan… Well, you feel sorry for the Manchester United fans too, what do they want?! Really they needed Tottenham to beat Wolves!

MERSE SAYS: 1-3

It will be interesting to see if Merson’s prediction proves accurate but if it is, then it’s difficult to see Liverpool blowing such a dominate position and Klopp’s men will be expected to lift their first Premier League title in May.