"I have an idea on the line-up and try to see how they played lately, what we have to do, adjust some things, but it's not just Anfield, all big stages and big games always need big personalities," he said at Friday's press conference. "I've said many times it's not about the skills of the players in the first division and Premier League and the big leagues.
There's no denying that Pep Guardiola's Barcelona side of the late 2000s and early 2010s was one of the greatest of the modern era. As well as the silverware - three La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and two Champions Leagues among other gongs - the team's style of play, influence and legacy mean that Guardiola's team's place in the history books is secure forever.
Neither were at the property at the time with Dias, who is currently injured, watching City's Champions League clash with Galatasaray on Wednesday and Jama working abroad. Lijnders said: "I didn't speak with him personally but Rúben will come back on Monday to team training. "These are the things you don't want to happen. We will support him and let's see how it goes from there."
Mikel Arteta has said failing to maintain his "great" relationship with Pep Guardiola amid a title race would set a "bad example" for sport and instead pointed to the respectful rivalry between tennis legends Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. The pair first met at Barcelona's La Masia academy when Arteta was just 15 years old and he later worked under Guardiola at Manchester City for three seasons prior to becoming Arsenal boss in 2019.
Michael Carrick will be in the home dugout on Saturday aiming to cause a surprise on his return to Manchester United. Carrick has taken over as the club's interim head coach until the end of the season following the sacking of Ruben Amorim on January 5. The former United midfielder could scarcely have asked for a more difficult first test than the visit of Manchester City.
Manchester City are interested in signing Dro Fernandez from Barcelona in the January transfer window, according to . The report in the Spanish news outlet has claimed that Fernandez has already told Barcelona that he wants to leave midway through the season, with Man City among the clubs keen on a deal. The report has claimed that Man City manager Pep Guardiola has personally told the club to make a move for Fernandez.
If you still have the stamina for more football quizzes, we have curated a fresh batch of challenges to test the depth of your footballing obsession, all courtesy of Kwizly. From the storied history of the world's oldest cup competition to the global reach of the World Cup, there is plenty here to keep you occupied. We'll start with a tribute to the tactical masterminds of the domestic game. We want to see how many FA Cup-winning managers you can name, from 2025 backwards.
Despite all the questions I'm getting on Enzo Maresca and Manchester United he's been linked in Italy with a potential role at Manchester United. At the moment guys, what I'm told is that Manchester City are interested in Enzo Maresca for the future. As I always told you, it's not something imminent. It's not something guaranteed. It's something for the future if Enzo Maresca will be available as a manager when Pep Guardiola decides to leave. But Pep has not decided anything at this stage.