Jurgen Klopp may not be thrilled with the scheduling, but Liverpool is set to face Manchester City in a highly anticipated clash at the Etihad on Saturday, marking the Premier League's return after the international break.

Pep Guardiola's treble-winning squad holds a slim one-point lead over Liverpool as they head into this weekend's marquee fixture. 

The hosts saw their impressive winning streak come to an end in a remarkable 4-4 draw two weekends ago, where Cole Palmer, Raheem Sterling, and Mateo Kovacic faced their former team at Stamford Bridge.

While Sterling did manage to haunt his old club with Chelsea's second goal, it was Palmer who emerged as the hero, calmly converting a penalty in the fifth minute of injury time to secure an eight-goal thriller. 

Despite Man City's four goals, including two from Erling Haaland, they relinquished their five-game winning streak, entering the current break just one point ahead at the top.

Liverpool and Arsenal are closely trailing the reigning champions, with Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa also potential contenders depending on the outcome of their clash on Sunday. 

Man City, however, comes into the fixture having scored at least three goals in each of their last five matches, with a notable record of 15 consecutive wins at home in the Premier League in 2023.

The Etihad has been a fortress for Guardiola's side, with a perfect home record this year, and an overall winning streak of 23 matches in all competitions. Liverpool, having ceded the "best-of-the-rest" label to Arsenal last season, once again finds themselves as the closest challengers to Man City's supremacy, propelled by Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota's goal-scoring prowess.

Liverpool's recent away form, however, leaves much to be desired, with just one win from their last five road trips. Klopp's immediate concern is shoring up a defense that has conceded in each of their last three top-flight away contests. 

The memories of their last two visits to the Etihad, which resulted in a 3-2 defeat in December and a 4-1 thrashing in April, underscore the defensive vulnerabilities that Liverpool must address.

Notably, Liverpool hasn't secured a Premier League victory at the Etihad since November 2015, a statistic Klopp will undoubtedly want to change as his team seeks to close the narrow gap at the top of the table.

Manchester City possible starting lineup:

Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Silva, Rodri, Foden; Doku, Haaland, Grealish.

Liverpool possible starting lineup:

Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Jota, Gakpo.