‘It’s harsh’: Paul Merson thinks Jurgen Klopp will drop ‘sensational’ Liverpool player against Manchester City

Fri 8 April 2022 8:15, UK

Manchester City Liverpool — Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Liverpool face Manchester City in the Premier League this weekend in what is being viewed as the title-decider, and Paul Merson has made a surprising claim about the visitors.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are just a point off the defending champions. The title race this season seems eerily similar to the one in the 2018/19 campaign, when the gap between the two sides remained just one point for a while, but City still managed to get their hands on the title.

Liverpool will be hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself and fortunately for them, it’s completely in their hands this time around. All the Reds have to do is beat Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday and then match their results until the end of the season.

That, sadly for Liverpool fans across the globe, is easier said than done.

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Paul Merson: Diogo Jota will not start for Liverpool vs Manchester City

Liverpool faced Watford in the Premier League last weekend, and Diogo Jota started and scored a goal. Merson, however, believes Klopp will drop the 25-year-old Portugal international against City on Sunday.

He wrote in his column on : “I watched Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League the other day and I can’t remember Atletico Madrid touching the ball too many times. That said, the away side got two excellent chances on the break and I thought to myself that if it was Liverpool, they’d have scored.

“Given how much they dominated, City still left the door open at the back a little bit and Liverpool could look to exploit that. Both teams will want to win this one and neither of these two managers will look to play for a draw, so I can see a few goals being scored.

“Coming to the team news, I think Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz will start up front for Liverpool. It’s harsh on Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino has been known to knit it together for Jurgen Klopp, but Diaz has settled quicker than snow and is on fire.”

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Luis Diaz is proving to be a phenomenal signing for Liverpool. The Colombian has hit the ground running and has caused a ton of problems to all the defenders he has come up against over the last two months.

However, Jota, , is still Liverpool’s most dangerous player, especially against the big sides.

The Portugal international has come up with numerous crucial goals for the Reds since he joined them and dropping him for the most important game of the season just doesn’t make sense.

If we were in Klopp’s shoes, we’d go with a front three of Diaz, Jota and Mo Salah.