Former Liverpool and goalkeeper has picked out the key battles to look out for in Sunday’s all-important clash between the two sides.
The Reds travel to the Etihad just one point behind the Citizens with just eight games left in the season, in a match that could decide the Premier League title.
Although James doesn’t quite view it that way, he still cannot wait to see how the game plays out, telling Metro Sport, via : ‘It’s not a title decider but it’s going to be a fascinating game.
‘I just look at two completely different styles of play, two completely different styles of management both so effective, we’re talking about the best two teams in world football at the moment.
What you’ve got is a side who are capable of smashing in lots of goals, and you’ve got a Man City side who I watched in midweek against Atletico [Madrid] who are capable of suffocating teams and stopping them from being effective and in this one game if either style breaks, the opposition is going to win.’
And James told us the main players who could determine the outcome of this match:
Kyle Walker vs Luis Diaz
James reckons Jurgen Klopp will select Colombian Diaz, who has already scored three goals in seven games since moving to Anfield from Porto in January, at left-wing, but he will be up against one of the world’s best right-backs in the form of Kyle Walker.
‘Diaz against Walker, can you imagine that? You’ve got the quickest, trickiest winger against the quickest defender. If Diaz gets the advantage, then he’s going to give Liverpool plenty of opportunities to score goals but if its Walker then it nullifies one of Liverpool’s attacking outlets.’
Kevin De Bruyne vs Liverpool’s midfield
Belgian attacking midfielder De Bruyne is a creative genius and, with 10 goals, City’s joint-top scorer in the league, alongside Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez.
Stopping him will be crucial to Liverpool’s gameplan believes James: ‘Kevin De Bruyne versus whoever plays in the middle. It could be Thiago, Fabinho or Hendo [Jordan Henderson], that midfield is going to be the winning or losing position.
‘Going back to the Atletico game, when you look at City, one of the frustrations is the amount of chances created and I don’t mean a shot from 40 yards, I mean clear cut chances. Even against Atletico I think it was 64 minutes before they had their first shot on target. But they only need to win 1-0, it doesn’t have to be a fantastic score line.’
Ederson vs Alisson Becker
When it comes to the best keeper in the world debate, Brazilian duo Ederson and Alisson are two of the top names in contention.
With a staggering 17 clean sheets each this season so far, both shot stoppers will need to keep their cool and be at their very best in order to make it 18.
James, who played in-between the sticks a combined 377 times for both clubs, admires both players but does think one is slightly ahead on current form: ‘For me, these two are the best goalkeepers in the Premier League but when you look at what Ederson has had to do in the last month it’s not a lot.
‘[City’s defence] is so good that at the last three games I’ve been to he’s kicked the ball over the halfway line twice. Everything he does is pretty much round the back, and it allows Man City to just dominate games of football, whereas Alisson on the other hand has been called upon numerous times, one on one situations, pulling out big saves and therefore he’s had more to do.
‘Alisson is the number one goalkeeper in the Premier League at the moment and the reason is because he’s being called upon so many times and he’s been able to answer the questions.
‘So, if you’re going to try and decide who’s the better goalkeeper at the moment, well Alisson’s had more to do so simple as that, but I know that Ederson is capable of doing what Alisson does so I don’t want to sound like I don’t like Ederson because I love the two of them.’
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