A stress test for John Stones, a big opportunity for Burnley and a chance for Arsenal to bounce back
The slightest flaw could help the other win the supposed title-decider at the Etihad and the absence of Rúben Dias will be a worry for Manchester City. John Stones will almost certainly replace him for Liverpool’s visit. He spent most of Tuesday night in Atlético Madrid’s half as City were not forced to defend against a side who failed to have a single shot at goal. Liverpool will be the polar opposite on Sunday and Stones, alongside Aymeric Laporte, will need to maintain concentration against the most prolific attack in the Premier League, who have seven more goals than City this season. Adapting to different styles is the beauty of flitting between domestic and European football but such a drastic change could be hard to adapt to, especially for someone like Stones whose concentration can lapse. Liverpool may target Stones as the pressure will be on him to replace City’s most consistent defender. There is no doubting he has the ability to keep Liverpool quiet but he will need to be at his focused best or Jürgen Klopp could be spending Monday buying silver polish. WU
Continue reading...