FOR two months or so it has been a question of “can they?” By Sunday evening, it may well be a statement of “they can.”
If Manchester City leave Anfield with their unbeaten Prem record intact, even Pep Guardiola might concede that mission impossible is quite possibly mission achievable after all.
Guardiola has long insisted his Rolls Royce of a side will stall at some stage. With most teams no-one would argue – but his City slickers aren’t most teams.
They are certainly the best we have seen in the Premier League era. Not even neighbours United were so far ahead of the pack in terms of talent and style in their own heyday.
Which is why today’s trip to Liverpool could well be their toughest domestic fixture over the remaining four months.
For all City are so much better than the rest, the Reds do hold the Indian sign over them.
City have won only once in their last 26 league visits. None since 2003. Taken four Anfield points from a possible 42. Not kept a clean sheet in 23 trips and only in 37.
I know those are merely stats. But look at the reality as well.
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Starting with the fact Liverpool are desperate to put the record straight from their September clash at the Etihad.
Yes, City eventually won 5-0. But when Sadio Mane was – correctly – sent off, they were only one up, and the Scouse side were actually the better team.
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Jurgen Klopp’s men will be equally desperate to prove the loss of Philippe Coutinho isn’t the death knell to their dreams many think.
Previous games without him suggest they are right to be confident, too.
A baying Anfield crowd is more fearsome than any other, while Liverpool will also take the fight to City like no other – and we saw how that can work with Bristol City in midweek.
And City, for all they played some fringe stars, did have a host of regulars in that hard-fought League Cup clash on Tuesday, while Liverpool had a week of rest.
So everything points to it being far and away the biggest test of Pep’s soon-to-be-crowned kings of England.
Get out of Anfield in one piece, and then the only hurdle could be their own ability.
Namely, winning the title too early could see men rested ahead of tricky European ties.
Then again, the trickiest on paper – United at home followed by a trip to Spurs – sandwich two likely legs of a Champions League quarter final.
And both opponents could also have that date on the agenda and giving some of their own stars a break.
So you can see why this visit to Merseyside will go a long way to deciding whether City can follow in the footsteps of Arsenal’s Invincibles.
They started the season as near 100-1 shots to go unbeaten. Two months ago it was 12-1 and now Betfred have them at slightly better than 4-1.
Come Sunday evenings, even those odds could look attractive.
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