Premier League: This is the showdown at the summit!

Liverpool vs Manchester City

It’s the biggest Premier League match of the season so far.

The campaign may well be in its infancy, but all the smart SBOBET money has been on these two clubs battling it out for the top prize in English football.

The Premier League 2018 odds suggested as such before a ball was even kicked and, seven games in, it seems those odds were spot-on.

Talking Points

As it stands, reigning champions Manchester City have a slight edge with a better goal difference than Liverpool at the top of the table.

Even without the brilliance of the injured Belgium’s Kevin de Bruyne – someone who shines for club and country – the mega-rich Citizens have picked up from where they left off last term.

After twenty-one goals scored and only three against, only a draw at newly promoted Wolves has prevented them from coming into this summit showdown with a 100 per cent record.

Premier League Liverpool vs Manchester City: Can David Silva scores and lead his team to victory? — David Silva about to score his team second goal against Hoffenheim

With the likes of club record scorer Sergio Aguero, former Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling, David Silva, new boy Riyad Mahrez and Leroy Sane – who has set up more Premier League goals than any other player (17) since the start of last season – no wonder De Bruyne has rarely been missed.

The good news for City fans is that he is now back in training. The good news for Liverpool fans is that he is unlikely to be fit to play at Anfield.

This is City’s first big test since their opening-day win at Arsenal and yet the latest in a line of tests for the Merseysiders who have, so far, come through impressively.

A win at Spurs was followed up last weekend by a last-gasp draw at Chelsea – a deserved result in which one-time City man Daniel Sturridge netted a superb equaliser.

That may have ended Liverpool’s 100 per cent start to the league season, but was still a fine result in what is a club-record opening to a campaign.

There is a genuine belief that Liverpool are well-equipped to win the title for the first time since the 1990 (before the Premier League even began) and end years of Merseyside misery.

Certainly, it is the best squad the club has had for some time and the best team since the 2008/09 side managed by Rafa Benitez which secured the runners-up spot, just four points behind eventual champions Manchester United.

Their summer spending spree even surpassed City this year, and it appears there is a stronger spine to the team than in recent years.

One of the major reasons was the club record £75-million acquisition of Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk who has strengthened a backline which was notoriously inconsistent.

His arrival in January, coupled with the summer recruits of the likes of Naby Keita and goalkeeper Alisson, have heightened belief this could be Liverpool’s season.

It remains to be seen, of course, but there is no doubt these are the top two teams in the country right now. This match has the hallmarks to provide some of the top Premier League 2018 highlights.

History

All last season’s matches were compelling.

City thrashed Liverpool 5-0 at the Etihad in a contest which was close until Sadio Mane’s harsh sending-off ultimately led to a home rout.

The return fixture at Anfield was arguably the game of the season.

Liverpool capitalised on poor defending to score three times in a rousing eight-minute spell before just managing to hold off a late City comeback for a 4-3 victory.

There was no chance of a comeback when they next met as Liverpool produced a first-half masterclass in attack and a solid second half in defence to defeat City 3-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final.

If Sane had not seen a goal incorrectly disallowed in the second leg (which would have given City a two-goal half-time advantage), we may have witnessed one of Europe’s greatest fightbacks.

As it was, City lost their composure, Guardiola was sent off, and Liverpool gained momentum and went on to complete a double over their opponents in a 5-1 aggregate win.