lineups

Who: India vs South Africa
What: T20 World Cup Super Eights
Where: Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India
When: Sunday, February 22, at 7pm (13:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 10:30 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.

Defending champions and tournament co-hosts India begin their Super Eights phase on Sunday against the team they defeated in the 2024 final, South Africa.

Both sides stormed through the group stage of the 2026 edition and look heavy favourites to at least reach the semifinals, with the Indians clear favourites to lift the trophy once again.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the most mouth-watering match-up of two of the heavy contenders for the crown so far at the tournament.

India gunning for South Africa’s top order

India’s bowlers will target early wickets against South Africa, said bowling coach Morne Morkel on Friday.

“We know that their top order gives them that momentum, with Quinton (de Kock) and Aiden (Markram) up front in good form and hitting the ball very well,” said the former South Africa quick bowler Morkel.

“We will definitely put our best foot forward to try and get those early wickets.”

How did India reach the T20 World Cup Super Eights?

India stormed their group to claim top spot with four wins from four. A slightly nervous start against USA was followed by a thumping 93-run win against Namibia.

The game everyone had their eyes on was the latest pairing with rivals Pakistan, which resulted in a 61-run win, while the final game saw the Netherlands fall only 17 runs short of their 194 target.

How did South Africa reach the T20 World Cup Super Eights?

South Africa opened their tournament with a 57-run win against Canada, but needed a Super Over to confirm their win against Afghanistan in their second match.

New Zealand were given a thumping by the Proteas, who claimed a seven-wicket win to confirm their passage to the Super Eights with a game to spare, before completing the group with a six-wicket win against the UAE.

India expect Abhishek to return to form soon

While Markram’s South Africa have looked strong in all departments, tournament favourites India have not enjoyed batting consistency, with opener Abhishek Sharma out of form. Morkel, though, predicts he will be back among the runs soon.

Morkel said the left-hander, who has recorded three consecutive ducks, was just one innings away from getting back in the zone.

“Absolutely no discussion in our team group about that,” said Morkel about Abhishek’s failure to score in any of the matches yet.

“He is a world-class player. We are going to a very important phase of the World Cup now and I am sure he is going to deliver.

“I am pretty sure he is hitting the ball in the nets.

“It is just a matter of getting the start and getting the innings going.”

Can South Africa be the team to stop India at the T20 World Cup?

Morkel acknowledged South Africa have been one of the form teams of the T20 World Cup so far.

“They are a team that’s full of confidence,” said Morkel.

“They have got guys at the top who are in form. In terms of weaknesses, there aren’t many.”

South Africa have also shown guts when needed, coming out victorious after two nerve-shredding super overs against Afghanistan.

“For us it comes down, on the day, to how well we execute with the bat and the ball,” said Morkel of defending champions India.

“It’s going to be world-class players against each other. It is going to be a mouth-watering thing.”

What is India’s record in T20 World Cup cricket?

Not only are India the defending champions after their victory against South Africa at the 2024 edition, but they are also the joint-record winners of the T20 World Cup.

The Indian side won their inaugural event in 2007, beating Pakistan in the final, but that made for a long wait for their second win at the last edition.

England and the West Indies have both also recorded two tournament wins.

What is South Africa’s record in T20 World Cup cricket?

South Africa still await their first T20 World Cup title. In fact, the wait goes on for the Proteas to lift any trophy at a major ICC tournament.

Their seven-run defeat at the hands of India in the 2024 edition was their first appearance in a final of either a T20 World Cup or a 50-over Cricket World Cup.

South Africa make surprise wholesale T20 changes for future tour

South Africa ‌have named a much-changed squad that includes five uncapped ⁠players for ⁠their five-match Twenty20 tour of New Zealand next month, leaving behind most of the team that have ⁠qualified for the Super Eights at the ongoing World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Batters Connor Esterhuizen, Dian Forrester ⁠and Jordan Hermann, all-rounder Eathan Bosch and teenage seamer Nqobani Mokoena will all hope to make their international debuts on the tour.

Hermann is the younger brother of Rubin, who is also in ‌the squad and has been capped in One Day Internationals and T20 matches for South Africa, while Bosch is the younger sibling of Corbin, who has impressed at the World Cup.

The side will be captained by spinner Keshav Maharaj, with a return for seamers Gerald Coetzee, ⁠Lutho Sipamla and Ottneil Baartman.

Three players from the current World Cup squad will tour: Maharaj, spinner George Linde and all-rounder Jason Smith.

“With this series taking place directly after the ⁠T20 World Cup, the majority of that squad will return home, which creates a ⁠great opportunity for this group of ⁠players to step into the international environment and show what they’re about at this level,” South Africa coach Shukri Conrad said.

The five-match series will be played ‌between March 15 and 25.

Head-to-head

This will be the 36th meeting between the sides in T20 internationals. India have won 21 of the matches, while South Africa have claimed victory on 13 occasions with one no result/abandonment.

Predicted India team:

Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh

Predicted South Africa team:

Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram (c), Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Ryan Rickelton, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Keshav Maharaj

Who: Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal
What: English Premier League
Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
When: Sunday, February 22 at 4:30pm (16:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 13:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Arsenal will look to banish their untimely bout of title race anxiety as the wobbling Premier League leaders head to bitter rivals Tottenham for the north London derby.

Mikel Arteta’s men are in danger of blowing a commanding position in the title race after successive draws against Brentford and Wolves left them with just two wins in their last seven league matches.

The Gunners squandered the lead in both matches, with Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at bottom-of-the-table Wolves especially galling as they conceded a stoppage-time equaliser having led 2-0.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side will move two points behind Arsenal if they beat Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Tottenham’s new coach, Igor Tudor, faces a baptism of fire in his first game in charge of the club as he is tasked with steering Spurs out of a relegation battle.

Thomas Frank was sacked as Tottenham manager following the defeat to Newcastle earlier in February, as a dire domestic campaign has left Spurs in 16th place going into the weekend, just five points above the relegation zone.

Saka urges Arsenal to ‘get over the line’

On February 7, Arsenal players walked off the field after a convincing 3-0 home win against Sunderland with their lead in the Premier League at nine points. Then things started to go wrong.

Defiant Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka is adamant his side will eventually “get over the line” and end their trophy drought.

After allowing City to overhaul them in the 2023 and 2024 title races, the north Londoners, who have not won silverware since the 2020 FA Cup, face pointed questions about their ability to handle the mounting tension.

Saka said Arsenal must silence the doubters by getting back on track at archrivals Tottenham on Sunday.

“I believe the next few years are going to be the years that we get over the line, and we’re able to win trophies and make history for this club,” Saka said. “We’re back where we belong, fighting for everything.”

Arteta dismisses ‘bottlers’ talk

Arsenal’s boss rejected the term “bottlers’ ahead of Sunday’s Premier ⁠League visit ⁠to Tottenham Hotspur.

“It’s not part of my ‌vocabulary and I don’t see it like this because I don’t think anybody wants to do that as an intention,” Arteta told reporters on Friday, when asked about the term being used regarding their latest wobble in the title race.

“That’s individual opinion, perspective. You have to ⁠respect that. That’s what I said after ⁠in the press conference. You lose two points against Wolves in the manner that the game played out, you have to take it on the ⁠chin. It’s part of our role.”

“What I’m very interested in is the next one, ⁠what we are made of, what ⁠we love about this and how we write our own destiny from here.”

‘No time to find excuses’

Tottenham Hotspur’s new interim head coach Tudor says instilling the players with confidence is his most urgent task.

“First priority is to give everything the team needs in these moments. The team need, I believe, first of all, to get some confidence, to get some courage, but also, in same way, the concrete things in the pitch,” Tudor told Spursplay.

“Of course, I’m coming here knowing that situation is not easy. There is no time to find excuses. What I said from the first day here, each of us, need to give something more, something extra.”

He added: “The position of the club in this moment is one that nobody can accept. Every Tottenham fan cannot accept the situation. We are aware of that. But it’s not enough to just be aware of that.”

Tudor wants a team prepared to ‘suffer’

While Tudor is aware of the significance of a derby win over Arsenal, he is more concerned with building a strong team spirit to help fuel their survival bid.

“I understand the importance of this game. This is a derby, a north London derby,” he said.

“This is a team that is full of quality, full of talented players, with good motor engines. But my goal in these first training sessions is that we become a team, with a really right way of going to war.

“A team who want to suffer. To fight, to run, to have the right mentality. This is the start.”

Head-to-head

Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have locked horns on 212 occasions; Arsenal won 90 of the games, while Spurs won 67, and 55 were draws.

Arsenal are now unbeaten against Spurs in their last seven games. Earlier this season, Eberechi Eze scored a hat-trick in November as the Gunners thrashed Tottenham 4-1 at the Emirates.

Arteta’s side also did the double over their bitter local rivals in 2024-25, winning 1-0 at Tottenham and earning a 2-1 victory at home.

Tottenham’s team news

Spurs were dealt a big blow when promising young winger Wilson Odobert ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against Newcastle.

He joins a long injury list of players who will miss the derby, including James Maddison, Ben Davies, Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Destiny Udogie, Kevin Danso and Lucas Bergvall.

Cristian Romero will serve the second of his four-game suspension after the Spurs captain was sent off in the defeat to Man United earlier this month.

Brazilian forward Richarlison is back in training after a knock and could be available for selection, while Pedro Porro faces a late fitness test as he looks to return from injury.

Predicted starting XI:

Vicario (GK); Palhinha, Dragusin, Van de Ven; Gray, Gallagher, Sarr, Spence; Kolo Muani, Simons; Solanke

Arsenal’s team news

Versatile midfielder Mikel Merino has undergone surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot, an injury sustained in January, and could miss the rest of the season.

Leandro Trossard is a serious doubt for the derby after he went off injured in stoppage time against the Wolves.

But Arteya has said he hopes to have captain Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz available for selection after they were struggling with injuries, and youngster Max Dowman has returned to training after an ankle problem.

And while Saka also limped off against Wolves, he is expected to be declared fit for this match.

Predicted starting XI:

Raya (GK); Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli

Who: Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad
What: Spanish La Liga
Where: Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain
When: Saturday, February 14, at 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Real Madrid career has not got off the ground yet, but fit again after injury, the England right-back could be crucial for the Spanish giants in the second half of the season.

With Alvaro Arbeloa’s side still taking shape following the coach’s arrival in January, Alexander-Arnold has the chance to make himself a key part of the club’s battle for silverware.

Pellegrino Matarazzo’s in-form Real Sociedad visit the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday in La Liga, in what promises to be an enticing clash.

Arbeloa’s Madrid are looking to move two points clear of Barcelona and take the lead in La Liga before the Catalans visit Girona on Monday.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at Saturday’s headline fixture in La Liga.

Will Alexander Arnold start for Real Madrid against Sociedad?

Former Liverpool full-back Alexander-Arnold, who came off the bench last weekend as Madrid beat Valencia, could potentially start for the first time since December 3.

After a decent early showing for Madrid at the Club World Cup last year, hamstring and thigh injuries have stopped him from settling in, limiting him to 12 appearances across all competitions this season.

“After [he’s had] a long time out, we will proceed with caution,” said Arbeloa after Alexander-Arnold’s return, with Spanish newspaper AS reporting Madrid’s aim is for him to start against Benfica in the Champions League playoff round on February 17.

Even if Arbeloa uses veteran Dani Carvajal or youngster David Jimenez to start against Real Sociedad, the expectation is for Alexander-Arnold to get more crucial minutes under his belt.

How are Real Sociedad faring in La Liga this season?

Real Sociedad are unbeaten in nine matches but are eighth in the table – 14 points off fourth place and the crucial UEFA Champions League qualification spots.

Matarazzo’s side did, however, defeat champions Barcelona last month and have one foot in the Copa del Rey final after a semifinal first leg win at rivals Athletic Bilbao this week.

Sociedad are also coming off a 1-0 win at Basque Country rival Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.

Will Vinicius and Mbappe’s dinner give Madrid food for thought?

Real Madrid is counting on a team-bonding dinner reportedly paid for by its biggest stars to boost its late-season pursuit of the La Liga and Champions League trophies.

Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe paid the bill at the restaurant in Madrid on Tuesday, midfielder Dani Ceballos told reporters. The tab ran in excess of 1,000 euros ($1,100), according to accounts by Spanish media.

Vinicius posted a photo of the entire squad during the dinner near the city centre in a fancy location that features an “Art Dining Club.”

Fans waited outside the restaurant to try to talk to the players after the dinner, which went well past midnight.

Coach Alvaro Arbeloa and his assistants were not part of the dinner, Spanish media said.

The show of unity came a week before Madrid faces Benfica in the first leg of the knockout playoffs of the Champions League. The team dropped out of the top eight that automatically qualified for the round of 16 after a 4-2 loss at the same as Benfica in the final round of the league phase.

Defender Raul Asencio told media that after the dinner, the team was “very united.”

Why has Real Madrid struggled this season?

Madrid went through turmoil at the end of last year, with some players reportedly not on the same page with coach Xabi Alonso.

Under Arbeloa, Madrid was eliminated by second-tier Albacete in the Copa del Rey round of 16, and lost to Benfica in the match that relegated the team to the Champions League’s knockout playoffs.

With the bad-tempered Bernabeu crowd on their own team’s backs in recent weeks, the chance to move top of the table could settle the natives.

How is the La Liga race shaping up for Real Madrid and Barcelona?

Madrid has won seven in a row to be one point behind leader Barcelona.

Barcelona will look to win its fourth in a row in the league against a Girona that was in 12th place and was winless in its last three matches.

Barcelona is coming off a resounding 4-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey on Thursday, when it conceded all goals in a disastrous first half.

It had won 17 of its last 18 matches in all competitions before the defeat. The last setback had been losing 2-1 at Sociedad in the league last month.

Third-placed Atletico will face lowly Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, while fourth-placed Villarreal is at mid-table Getafe.

What happened the last time Real Madrid met Sociedad?

Los Blancos were 2-1 winners against Sociedad in September’s reverse fixture in La Liga.

Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler scored either side of Dean Huijsen’s sending off in the first half.

Mikel Oyarzabal’s 56th-minute penalty offered the home side hope, but they were unable to further make the most of their numerical advantage.

Head-to-head

This is the 184th meeting between the teams, with Madrid winning on 103 occasions and Sociedad claiming the spoils in 38 of the contests.

The first fixture was played in April 1905, with Madrid winning the Copa del Rey meeting 3-0.

Real Madrid team news

Mbappe trained separately from the squad on Thursday because of a knee issue and became doubtful for Saturday’s game.

He had already been held to gym work on Wednesday. The club did not immediately give any details about his condition.

Vinicius was set to be back with Madrid after missing the previous league game because of a yellow card suspension, but Jude Bellingham will remain sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Predicted Real Madrid starting lineup (4-3-3)

Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Brahim, Mbappe, Vinicius

Real Sociedad team news

Brais Mendez is suspended for the trip to Madrid, while Takefusa Kubo and Unai Marrero are both absent with hamstring and facial injuries, respectively.

Arsen Zakharyan, Ander Barrenetxea and Luka Sucic have slight niggles and face late fitness tests.

Predicted Real Sociedad starting lineup (4-2-3-1)

Remiro; Odriozola, Martin, Caleta-Car, Gomez; Gorrotxategi, Turrientes; Marin, Soler, Guedes; Oyarzabal

Who: England vs Nepal
What: 2026 ICC T20 World Cup
Where: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, India
When: Sunday, February 8, at 3pm (09:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 06:30 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.

England are undoubtedly among the frontrunners to lift the T20 World Cup title, but, unlike years gone by, they do not start as one of the red-hot favourites.

Despite his undoubted ability with the bat, questions surround the captaincy of Harry Brook, while English cricket as a whole is licking its wounds following recent woes – including the Ashes humiliation in Australia.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at their open against Nepal.

What have England said about the pressure on Brooks?

All-rounder Will Jacks said on Friday that under-fire England T20 captain Harry Brook had “100 percent” support from the players after going through a “tough time”.

The 26-year-old Brook, in charge at a global tournament for the first time, has recently been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

He had to apologise last month for being involved in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer during England’s white ball tour of New Zealand last year, something that had been a “terrible mistake”.

Jacks has been close to Brook since they were roommates with England Under-19s.

“Obviously, it’s been a tough time, and that’s been well documented in the media,” Jacks told reporters before team training in Mumbai on the eve of the tournament.

“I wasn’t actually in New Zealand, so I didn’t know anything about it.

“He’s obviously made the wrong decision, but he’s accepted that. He’s obviously making amends on the pitch, and we all back him 100 percent.”

Brook, a richly gifted run-scorer, has an early chance to shift the focus back onto his batting in England’s opening match against Nepal in Mumbai on Sunday.

“He wants his cricket to do the talking,” said Jacks.

What is England and Brook’s T20 form before the World Cup?

England come into the World Cup in good form in T20, heartened by a 3-0 series win in Sri Lanka – one of the tournament co-hosts – this week.

In the preceding ODI series against the same opposition, the explosive Brook bludgeoned 136 off just 66 balls.

“It’s not so much we are taking momentum from that, but team unity, feeling strong within ourselves,” said Jacks.

“We have been performing well over the last 12 months, since Harry’s become captain, and we’re very happy with that.

“What we did in the last few weeks in Sri Lanka is another stepping stone.”

Who else is in England and Nepal’s group?

England are expected to make the Super Eight stage from a Group C that also features two-time winners West Indies, debutants Italy and Scotland.

“We come into here full of confidence and belief that we can go a long way in this tournament.

“But that doesn’t guarantee us anything. We know that there’s amazing teams in this World Cup.”

“India, on home soil, I think everyone knows who’s favourites.”

What is England’s T20 World Cup record?

England are the joint-record winners of the T20 World Cup with two trophy lifts to their name, alongside West Indies and holders India.

Paul Collingwood captained the English to the third edition of the competition, before Jos Buttler’s side sealed their second win in 2022.

What is Nepal’s T20 World Cup record?

Nepal made their debut at the 2014 edition of the competition, but had to wait until the West Indies and US co-hosted tournament in 2024 to make a second appearance.

On both occasions, the Nepalese were eliminated at the first stage, with 12th- and 17th-placed rankings.

Salt passed fit for England’s opener

Hard-hitting batsman Phil Salt was passed fit as England named their team on Saturday for their first match in the T20 World Cup.

He will open the batting alongside wicketkeeper Jos Buttler against Nepal at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Sunday in Group C.

Salt missed Tuesday’s third T20 against Sri Lanka with a back spasm, but trained successfully on Friday and will take his place at the top of the order.

Tom Banton, fresh from a sparkling 54 off 33 balls against Sri Lanka five days ago, is preferred to Ben Duckett and will bat at number four.

Left-arm fast bowler Luke Wood gets the nod ahead of Jamie Overton and joins express man Jofra Archer and Sam Curran in the seam attack.

England have opted to have four spinners at their disposal, with spearheads Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson backed up by all-rounders Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks.

England’s starting lineup

Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (capt), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood

England squad

Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt (captain), Josh Tongue, Luke Wood

Nepal squad

Rohit Paudel (captain), Aarif Sheikh, Aasif Sheikh (wicketkeeper), Dipendra Singh Airee, Basir Ahamad, Kushal Bhurtel, Sundeep Jora, Lokesh Bam, Gulshan Jha, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sher Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Nandan Yadav

Who: Liverpool vs Manchester City
What: English Premier League
Where: Anfield, Liverpool, UK
When: Sunday at 4:30pm (16:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 13:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Liverpool host City for a match with huge ramifications for the title race and the battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

City trail leaders Arsenal by six points and could find themselves nine adrift by the time they kick off, with the Gunners hosting Sunderland on Saturday.

Liverpool could also be four points outside the top five, which should secure a place in the Champions League, should Manchester United and Chelsea win on Saturday.

The champions head into the weekend in sixth place on 39 points but in high spirits after a commanding 4-1 win over Newcastle United last weekend, while ⁠City dropped points against 14th-placed Tottenham Hotspur, surrendering a two-goal advantage in a 2-2 draw.

Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, two of Liverpool’s big-money summer signings, are beginning to deliver returns. Ekitike scored twice in the win over Newcastle to take his tally for the season to 15, while Wirtz has netted six times in 10 matches since ending a 22-game wait for his first Liverpool goal.

City’s Erling Haaland, meanwhile, is experiencing an unusual lean spell with just two goals in his last 12 games. He has never scored for City at Anfield.

Slot targets improved display against City

Liverpool are eager to ‌showcase how far they have progressed after losing 3-0 to City in November, manager Arne Slot said on Thursday.

“I mainly remember the game we played at Etihad, and we were outplayed for large parts in the first half,” Slot told reporters.

“So, this is another moment to see where we are in the development of this team. We know the importance of ⁠a result.”

Liverpool have endured a difficult season so far, but have regained some measure of form in recent weeks.

“It’s the end phase of the season, so results matter more,” Slot said.

“We have not found the consistency for the results, but we have shown against ‌all the [teams], that we can compete.”

Liverpool know there has to be ‘life after Virgil’

Slot also explained the club’s decision to recruit four central defenders during the winter transfer window – Jeremy Jacquet, Ifeanyi Ndukwe, Mor Talla Ndiaye and Noah Adekoya – describing it as planning ‌for life after captain and star centre-back Virgil van Dijk, who will turn 35 this year.

“Hopefully, Virgil can stay fit for multiple years, but this club is not stupid,” Slot said.

“We do know, somewhere in the upcoming years, there is life after Virgil, but that is for every position. We don’t think about short term only.”

Slot singled out the Jacquet for extra praise. The France under-21s defender was also linked with Chelsea, but will move to Anfield in July after Liverpool agreed to a big-money deal to sign him from Rennes, where he will finish the season.

“Such a big talent and another example of the model we’re using at this club,” Slot said.

“Young, very talented players, sometimes at the start of their careers or sometimes already a little bit a few years into their career, but always players that are young and can improve us in the short term but also definitely in the long term.”

Guardiola emphasises mental fortitude ahead of tough trip

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said ‌mental strength separates elite players from the rest as his team prepares for the game against Liverpool.

“The biggest stages and the biggest games always need big personalities,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.

“I have said many times, it’s not about the skills of the players in the top leagues. In ⁠the top clubs, the skills are there. I never know one player that is not good enough to play in the top clubs, it is how you behave.

“How you play in the latter stages of the biggest competitions is what defines you as a player. The mind of the players you have defines the big teams.”

Guardiola said that despite their travails this season, playing Liverpool at Anfield is still one of the toughest away fixtures in football.

“They remain an exceptional team,” he said. “Top-class manager and an exceptional team, no doubt.”

City boss lauds Haaland as ‘world’s best striker’ but won’t confirm Liverpool start

Guardiola insisted Haaland is the “best striker in the world” despite refusing to confirm if the misfiring City star will start Sunday’s crucial clash.

“I don’t know until tomorrow. But all I say is Erling is the best. Erling is the best striker in the world,” Guardiola told reporters.

The 55-year-old also doubled down on his comments about the “hurt” he feels for victims of conflicts in Palestine, Ukraine and Sudan after Jewish community leaders told him to “focus on football”.

“To be honest, I didn’t say anything special. I think, why should I not express how I feel just because I am a manager? So I do not agree, but I respect absolutely all opinions,” he said.

“What I said basically is how many conflicts there are right now around the globe or around the world. How many? A lot, right? I condemn all of them. All of them.”

Head-to-head

The two clubs have faced each other on 219 occasions, with Liverpool winning 110 of those games, City winning 61, and 58 ending as draws.

While City comfortably won their home league game against Liverpool this season, their only victory away to Liverpool since 2003 came in an empty stadium during COVID restrictions in 2021.

Liverpool’s team news

Slot confirmed that defender Jeremie Frimpong will miss the game, ‌but Joe Gomez could return to the squad to bolster the defensive ⁠line.

Dominik Szoboszlai is expected to continue deputising for Frimpong at right-back.

Alexander Isak, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni all remain on the sidelines with long-term injuries.

Predicted lineup:

Alisson (GK); Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike

City’s team news

City could be without Bernardo Silva, who has a back issue, so Nico O’Reilly could move into midfield to replace him.

Ruben Dias has returned from injury but likely lacks full match fitness and sharpness, so Abdukodir Khusanov will likely start in the centre of defence alongside new signing Marc Guehi.

Predicted lineup:

Donnarumma (GK); Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Rodri, O’Reilly; Semenyo, Foden, Cherki; Haaland