Arne Slot already has ideal Liverpool blueprint vs Man City before Florian Wirtz decision

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By the time Liverpool played Manchester City last season, it was already looking like a Premier League champion. Pep Lijnders is now in the opposing dugout; there is still no Rodri; and Erling Haaland is in much better form than at any point in the last campaign.

The Norwegian finished behind two Liverpool players in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot last time around — Salah and Alexander Isak — but there will be no repeat of that in 2026. Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates after Liverpol's win at Manchester City last season (Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) Whether he goes with Cody Gakpo or Florian Wirtz off the left after the German playmaker impressed against Real Madrid midweek, the template for more success is there.

Mac Allister and Gravenberch will be there, and Szoboszlai is in even better form now than he was then. Doing the same thing again, and producing a similar blueprint to the one that beat Manchester City last time, could see a repeat of the result.