For the first time in a long time, Liverpool and Manchester City meet this weekend in a match that isn't between Premier League title rivals.
Liverpool (61) are 17 points of clear of fourth-place City (44) at the top of the table, and their only real title rivals are Arsenal (53) and, surprisingly, Nottingham Forest (47).
City have suffered a calamitous campaign that has seen manager Pep Guardiola endure the worst statistical run of his managerial career. City hadn't lost four games in a row in all competitions since 2006 -- two years before the Abu Dhabi takeover of the club and 10 years before Guardiola's game-changing arrival on the blue side of Manchester -- but they did so in November and by the time December's 2-0 defeat to Liverpool had rolled around, their winless run had extended to seven.
After that loss at Anfield, Guardiola was mocked with chants of "You're getting sacked in the morning" by Liverpool supporters and responded by showing six fingers to the crowd to signify the number of titles won during his time at the Etihad.
Yes, City have edge on recent trophies, but new Liverpool boss Arne Slot is favourite to walk away with the title this season in his debut campaign. So how do the two Premier League giants compare? Why are City struggling? How different is Liverpool's Slot from former boss Jurgen Klopp? And is Guardiola starting to figure out what his new-look team should look like?
We asked Rob Dawson, Beth Lindop and Bill Connelly to examine the issues.
