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Liverpool will host their long-term Premier League title rivals Manchester City at Anfield tomorrow in one of the most highly-anticipated fixtures in the top-flight calendar, but this season so far the two teams are already very far apart in their start to the domestic campaign.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are currently 11th in the league table with just 10 points tallied up after eight games, making it Liverpool’s worst start to a season in over a decade, leaving them 13 points adrift of Man City.

The two teams were only separated by a point in first and second at the top of the table last season, and the German will surely be hoping that securing all three points at Anfield on Sunday might put them on the path of regaining their momentum and previously impeccable form in the Premier League.

Therefore, Klopp must deploy his very best team and shrewd tactics which have been witnessed on many occasions before when coming up against the current league champions if they are to have any chance of stealing points from Pep Guardiola’s formidable team this weekend.

One player who could make a huge difference upon his return from injury is Andy Robertson, with the left-back giving supporters a glimpse of his talent when returning as a second-half substitute in the 7-1 win over Rangers earlier this week.

The £160k-per-week Scotland international, who was hailed as “outstanding” by team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold, has been sidelined with a knee injury for a few weeks.

He spoke out on his return to action in a post-match interview at Ibrox on Wednesday night, saying: “It’s been five weeks, it’s not too long for the outside world but for someone who is not used to being out injured it is a long, long time.”

“I am just glad to be back to fitness. Hopefully that’s all behind me now.”

The talented dynamo has been a loyal servant and a consistent performer for the Reds since arriving at Anfield from Hull City in 2017, costing the club just £8m, and it’s safe to say that Liverpool hit the jackpot with Robertson.

The 28-year-old has made 255 appearances, scoring eight goals and delivering a whopping 55 assists from his position in the back-line. That has contributed to the team’s feast of trophies over the last five years, with the Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the club’s first Premier League title all won whilst Robertson has been playing a key role.

Kostas Tsimikas has stepped into the Scottish left-back’s shoes whilst he has been in recovery for the last five weeks, but it is without a doubt that Robertson has both the ability to impact the game and the experience to terrify Man City on Sunday afternoon, considering that he has scored once and set up four goals in 19 meetings against them.

With that in mind, Klopp must unleash Robertson in this important game for Liverpool, and the 28-year-old’s return to full fitness could not have come at a better time as the Reds will need all the experience they can get in order to take points from City tomorrow.

Liverpool are reportedly eyeing up a move in 2023 for Borussia Dortmund striker Youssoufa Moukoko.

The Lowdown: Rising star

At just 17 years of age, Moukoko is one of the rising stars of the game. He became the youngest ever scorer in the Bundesliga at just 16 years and 28 days, netting for Dortmund in a 2-1 loss at Union Berlin in the 2020/21 season.

He has now made more than 50 appearances for the German heavyweights, with more than 10 goal contributions, including scoring in the 2-2 draw at home to Bayern Munich in the league earlier this month (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Klopp ‘blown away’

As per Football Insider, Liverpool have set their sights on a move for Moukoko in 2023 and are keeping close tabs on him. His contract expires in the summer, with reports that talks over a new deal have been delayed.

Jurgen Klopp is believed to be particularly ‘blown away’ by Moukoko’s impact at his former club at such a young age, but he will face competition from other Premier League rivals, along with Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Barcelona for his signature.

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The Verdict: Exciting

Moukoko would certainly be an exciting for Liverpool supporters if the Reds can get a deal done in 2023.

Hailed as ‘amazing’ by former Dortmund striker and now Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland, the 17-year-old has an extremely high ceiling, and the fact that he is already featuring regularly for a club of Dortmund’s stature is testament to how much talent he has.

Klopp seems to be taken back by him in particular, and the 55-year-old would surely relish the chance to work with him alongside attackers such as Mo Salah and Luis Diaz.

Tottenham Hotspur reportedly have an interest in signing Sassuolo midfielder Hamed Junior Traore. 

The Lowdown: Shopping in Italy

Since Antonio Conte took charge of the north London club back in November last year, the 53-year-old has not been shy in terms of signing players from his homeland.

Under the guidance of Conte and Fabio Paratici, Spurs have secured deals for the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski, Ivan Perisic and Destiny Udogie from clubs across Serie A.

Looking ahead to the next January and summer transfer windows, it seems as though Traore could be the next player to join Conte’s ranks from Italy’s top flight.

The Latest: Spurs eyeing Traore

According to a recent report from MilanLive, Spurs are one of the clubs interested in signing the 22-year-old Traore, alongside West Ham United, AC Milan, Napoli and Juventus.

The report also adds that Sassuolo would be looking for a transfer fee of at least €30m (£25m) to sell the midfielder.

The Verdict: A worthy investment?

After scoring 20 goals and providing 14 assists in 110 appearances for his previous club, FC Empoli, across their senior and youth sides, the Ivorian joined Sassuolo back in the 2021 summer transfer window.

Since then, Traore, who was previously described by Brighton & Hove Albion manager, Roberto De Zerbi, as a “pure talent”, has gone on to score 18 goals and provide nine assists in 102 appearances across all competitions.

Traore ended his previous Serie A campaign, which was labelled as “magnificent” by talent spotter Jacek Kulig, with more successful dribbles (61) than any other player at the club as well as the second-highest number of passes into the 18-yard box (35).

This highlights how tricky he can be to play against and how much of a creative threat he can provide in attacking areas.

Moving forward, despite potentially having to battle numerous clubs for the player’s signature, this is a move that could be well worth the effort and money for Spurs.

Scottish champions Celtic are reportedly plotting a move to bolster their ranks in January, with manager Ange Postecoglou seemingly eyeing a new midfield recruit.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Old Firm outfit are said to have set aside a ‘significant’ sum in order to splash out on a new central midfielder in the winter window, with the title-winning coach set to receive further backing from the Hoops’ hierarchy.

The report suggests that the Parkhead giants are targeting a ‘proven’ asset who can line up in front of the back four, despite having only just brought in the likes of Aaron Mooy and Oliver Abildgaard over the summer.

Postecoglou has only recently confirmed that the Glasgow side have already shifted their attention towards the upcoming window, with the January market having proven fruitful last term as the likes of Matt O’Riley, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate all arrived through the door.

Ditch Ideguchi

That influx of talent also included Japanese midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi, although unlike the names mentioned above, the 26-year-old has struggled to make an impact in his new surroundings, having become something of a forgotten figure at Celtic Park.

The arrival of a new acquisition could well be the final straw with regard to the diminutive dud’s time at the club, having previously been tipped for a departure over the summer amid his struggles for game time.

That lack of impact has largely been due to injury, however, with the former Gamba Osaka man having sustained a knee issue just a matter of weeks into his time in Scotland, ensuring that the 15-cap machine went on to make just six appearances in all competitions in the tail-end of last season.

A further complaint at the start of the current campaign has again kept the 5-foot-7 playmaker restricted to a watching brief, with the one-time Leeds United man having failed to make an appearance thus far, albeit while featuring on the bench in three of the club’s last four games.

To not even earn a single minute of action in the League Cup victory over Motherwell last week has seemingly emphasised just how far down the pecking order the £15.5k-per-week outcast is at present, with any new addition only set to further harm his slim chance of involvement.

Should a fresh face arrive at Celtic Park in the New Year, it could well be the ideal time for Postecoglou to ditch his struggling asset, even if Ideguchi’s current deal is set to run until 2026.

Jesse Marsch admitted in the run up to Leeds United’s game with Liverpool on Saturday that he was simply “sick” of losing.

It’s easy to see why he felt like that. His men hadn’t won a game of football in the league since remarkably defeating Chelsea 3-1 at Elland Road in August.

How they must love to play the country’s elite week in, week out as they finally ended a run of eight games without a win with a victory over Jurgen Klopp’s side.

It was the Reds’ first defeat at Anfield in the Premier League since March 2021 and they had a host of players to thank. Illan Meslier was a titan in goal but it was Crysencio Summerville who ultimately came up with the winning goal.

The Dutchman became a Leeds player in the summer of 2020 but was rather alienated from the first team picture by Marcelo Bielsa. That decision, certainly on recent form, would appear to be a mistake.

Marsch has taken a strong liking to the 21-year-old who was rewarded with a new deal last summer and given the number 10 shirt in a strong display of faith by the club.

That number had been worn previously by Raphinha and very quickly, he’s looking like the heir apparent to the now Barcelona star.

The Brazilian departed a few months ago with Leeds looking towards Cody Gakpo as his potential replacement. He ultimately stayed at PSV with Victor Orta securing the signature of Luis Sinisterra who has shown in glimpses that he could make a similar impact at Elland Road.

However, the Colombian is now on a run of four games without a goal and has even served a suspension for a red card against Aston Villa.

While his form deteriorates, Summerville’s only gets better. The £2.7m-rated talent has now started in two of the last three league fixtures and has two goals to show for his efforts.

He made an impact off the bench by scoring his first senior goal for the club in the defeat to Fulham before his late winner at Anfield marked the finest moment of his embryonic career to date.

It was a sweeping finish that sparked bedlam amongst the travelling support and he now looks like an incredibly exciting option for Marsch and his coaching staff.

Summerville doesn’t quite have the tenacity of Raphinha yet but his enchanting and captivating ability with the ball at his feet certainly sparks similarities.

When in full flight, the Dutchman is seemingly a bag of tricks with the ball glued to his feet in tight situations.

Described as a “speed merchant” during his time with the U21s and as “unplayable” by Beren Cross, it would appear that his days of not quite being good enough for first-team football are over.

Summerville is here to stay and he is here to finally replace Raphinha.

Chelsea suffered just their second defeat under Graham Potter in a 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Sunday, which further strengthens their position at the top of the Premier League table.

What Potter would do for a talent like Bukayo Saka in his squad, especially with poor performances from Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount yesterday, with the former achieving a rating of just 5.9/10 via SofaScore.

Well, they could unearth a talent as impressive as the Arsenal sensation in January. According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Chelsea are interested in AC Milan player Rafael Leao and could make a bid over the winter.

They face competition from Manchester City, however, and with a release clause of €150m (£130.5m), the Blues could look to offload a few players as part of the deal. Armando Broja and either Hayem Ziyech or Christian Pulisic have been mentioned and this would significantly bring down the cost of a potential transfer.

Potter’s own Saka

Leao has been on fire since the start of last season for Milan, scoring an impressive 14 goals and registering 12 assists as the Rossoneri won the Serie A title for the first time in 11 years. He has continued this fine form into the current campaign, already netting six times and chipping in with nine assists across just 18 outings.

The Portuguese winger is comparable to Saka according to FBref’s similar player model, and the two are certainly alike.

The Arsenal star has begun this campaign incredibly well, already registering ten goal contributions in the league, one more than Leao, and they both offer a prominent threat from wide positions.

In terms of shot-creating actions, both players have registered over four per match (4.58 for Leao and 4.33 for Saka). That said, the Englishman does tend to deliver more crosses into the opposition penalty area, delivering over double the number Leao has this season (52 to 20).

The two wingers also thrive in creating opportunities for others, playing 2.1 and 1.7 key passes on average per match this season.

Furthermore, they are also averaging an identical number of carries (15) with the ball at their feet in their respective leagues this season, showing a crafty ability to navigate opponents and evade a pressing defender.

The £30k-per-week “superstar” as dubbed by Theo Mwangi, would instantly thrive at Chelsea and with Potter witnessing firsthand just how excellent Saka has been since he burst onto the scene, the 47-year-old will aim to replicate that by signing the 23-year-old Leao in January.

PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo has named Manchester City as one of his potential future transfer destinations. 

The Lowdown: Transfer interest in Gakpo

Back in January, it was reported that Gakpo had held talks with City over a potential future transfer move. The Dutchman was then linked with a move away from PSV during the previous summer transfer window, with clubs such as Leeds United and Southampton looking to secure his signature.

Having stayed with his current club, it appears that the player has been speaking about his future and has even named some clubs that he would dream of joining.

The Latest: Gakpo’s future

NOS relayed comments from Gakpo, who had this to say about potentially leaving PSV in the summer and the clubs he’d like to join. He said:

“I think I’ll be ready to take that step by the end of this season. I feel like I was at the beginning of this season, but after this season I’m even more ready to take that next step.

“Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool. It would be an honour to be able to play there, but I also have to look at what kind of team I would best come into my own.”

The Verdict: A smart investment for City

With 222 appearances for the Dutch club across their senior and youth sides, the 23-year-old has scored 82 goals and delivered 61 assists along the way.

Hailed as an “electric” player by journalist Josh Bunting, Gakpo will be hoping to showcase his attacking talent for the Netherlands in the upcoming World Cup in Qatar having been included in Louis Van Gaal’s squad.

Having scored 13 goals and supplied 17 assists in 24 games across all competitions this season for PSV, the winger has also racked up the highest overall performance rating in the entire Eredivisie (8.52/10). [WhoScored]

Taking all of this into account, securing a potential transfer deal for the winger in the summer, would be a smart investment for the Manchester club, given his age and the clear attacking talent he has.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst signed seven new players for Glasgow Rangers during the summer as he hoped to build on the momentum which saw the Ibrox side reach the Europa League final and win the Scottish Cup.

Not all have worked out, however, with only Antonio Colak – who has scored 14 goals – impressing for any length of time. Injuries have hampered the likes of John Souttar, Tom Lawrence, and Ben Davies, while Malik Tillman and Ridvan Yilmaz have found it hard to adjust at times.

Despite the underwhelming window, it could have been worse had the Dutchman signed a Rangers target in Harry Winks, as the midfielder has had a torrid time this season.

Rangers dodged a bullet on Harry Winks

It was reported in the summer that Tottenham Hotspur had offered Winks to Rangers as they looked to move him on.

With the midfielder earning £91k-per-week at Spurs, any potential move would likely have been a loan deal, with the London side paying part of his wages.

A move didn’t materialise, however, with Winks joining Serie A side Sampdoria on a season-long loan deal at the end of August, and Van Bronckhorst certainly dodged a bullet on the Englishman.

Journalist Rob Guest had previously suggested that Winks had “struggled” for minutes while at Spurs during the last couple of seasons and the move to Italy looked like it was a fresh start for the player.

Fast forward three months and the move has turned into a nightmare, with Winks not yet playing a game for Sampdoria.

This is due to niggling injuries that have hampered his progress and considering Van Bronckhorst’s current injury crisis at the moment, not signing Winks has turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

A move for the 26-year-old may have been similar to the club signing Aaron Ramsey in January. Players on a high wage combined with a poor injury history trying to get up to speed with Scottish football.

Despite calls for the manager to enhance the squad following Champions League qualification near the end of the summer window, the Ibrox faithful will certainly be pleased to have avoided Winks.

West Ham United feel defender Nayef Aguerd could be ‘season defining’ if he can return from the World Cup unscathed.

The Lowdown: Injury struggle

When Aguerd made the summer switch to the London Stadium, there was genuine excitement over the addition of a ball-playing left-footed central defender.

It was a statement of intent from the Hammers, who looked as though they would profit from the signing in terms of boosting the possession ranks, with his ability to play out from the back seemingly the missing piece.

Fast forward to the present day and Aguerd has made just one Premier League appearance, after suffering injury in a pre-season game against Rangers.

The Latest: Hammers hopes boosted

According to Dean Jones, West Ham feel they can majorly benefit for the second half of the season if Aguerd can get through this World Cup with Morocco injury-free.

Having just recovered in time, getting minutes in the 26-year-old’s legs is a must, with the star capable of transforming the Hammers’ campaign.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said: “They’ll probably have a couple of heart in mouth moments if he goes down at all. They are desperate to get this lad regularly into their team.

“They really feel it could be season-defining if he can have a long run in the side for them, so they just want him to get through this World Cup unscathed.”

The Verdict: A ‘new’ signing

If Aguerd can stay fit and register consistent minutes for Morocco, his presence at the London Stadium will be akin to that of a new signing.

His injury that occurred early on in his Irons career was genuinely misfortunate, but he has the opportunity to almost restart the season upon his return from international duty – something that will only benefit David Moyes and co.

Wolves were heavily linked with a move for Stoke City centre-back Harry Souttar in 2021 and with the Australian defender now starring at the World Cup, the Old Gold will surely regret not signing him.

It was suggested on a number of occasions last year that Wolves could look to prise the six-foot-six titan away from the Championship after some eye-catching performances in the second tier.

The 24-year-old picked up an anterior cruciate ligament injury last November which likely brought an end to Wolves’ interest but he has recovered in time for the World Cup and is now impressing for knockout stage hopefuls Australia.

After a 4-1 defeat to holders France in their opening fixture, the Socceroos earned an impressive 1-0 win over Tunisia earlier this week to give themselves a real chance of qualification for the knockout stage, with a draw against Denmark in their next fixture likely to be enough should France beat Tunisia.

The Stoke star was instrumental to Graham Arnold’s side earning their first World Cup win since 2010 and will leave Wolves perhaps wishing they had bought him ahead of his long-term injury in 2021.

As per Sofascore, the former Dundee United man would earn an impressive 7.7/10 rating for his performance, which was the joint-highest of any outfield player to feature in the game, with only Aussie goalkeeper Mat Ryan rated higher.

Souttar was a rock at the back for Australia, contributing six clearances, three blocks and one last-man tackle in a monumental defensive display crucial to his side earning a clean sheet and three points.

BBC commentator Danny Murphy described Souttar as “like Superman” during their coverage of the game, while journalist Sacha Pisani labelled him an “absolute beast,” so it seems clear that he is a highly-rated defender on his day.

If he continues his World Cup form with Stoke in the Championship when the season resumes, it will surely only be a matter of time before Premier League sides begin showing an interest in him once again.

Considering Wolves’ defensive woes so far this campaign, which have played a big part in them being bottom of the Premier League table, they will surely be wishing they had brought Souttar to Molineux in 2021.