Liverpool’s predicted XI vs Manchester City as Andoni Iraola decides new Bradley Barcola role

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The eyes of the world will be on Anfield this Sunday as Manchester City begin to face the music for their years of financial wrongdoing.Poetically, Liverpool, perhaps the team to lose the most at the hands of City’s rule-breaking, will have the chance to dish out some relatively swift justice, with the home crowd ready to let Enzo Maresca and his team know just how low they think of them.Sadly, the Reds will not be full strength to face City, though, after Andoni Iraola shared the news that both Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo will miss the game. Here’s what we think he’ll decide to go with for the most anticipated XI of his time at Liverpool so far.

Liverpool will need him at his best to keep out Erling Haaland and co.In front of him, news that Jeremy Jacquet has been passed fit will have come as a huge relief to supporters. Jacquet has been brilliant so far this season, and though he is set for his toughest test yet, there isn’t anyone Liverpool fans would rather have partner Virgil van Dijk right now.Iraola has hailed Ronald Araujo in the build-up to the match, and although he had a busy international window himself, the Uruguayan should continue at right-back here.Milos Kerkez has been the least convincing of a revitalised defensive unit, but he should be full of confidence after scoring his first goal for Hungary, and there is little chance of him dropping out of the team for Sunday.READ MORE: Gary Neville explains his one worry for Liverpool when they face Man City this weekendMidfieldWhat Iraola decides to do with his midfield will likely be as a direct result of who he chooses in his forward line.Whatever happens, it is fair to assume that both Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai will start regardless.

Mac Allister was the last to play for his country on Wednesday and Szoboszlai was again overplayed for Hungary, but they are both too crucial to Liverpool to miss out.Though he has been coming under fire recently, Florian Wirtz should also still expect to start here, but instead of playing him in his usual attacking midfield role, we think Iraola may instead choose to pack the midfield and shift the German into attack.That would mean a start for Ryan Gravenberch, something of a rarity these days, with the Dutchman sitting alongside Mac Allister and Szoboszlai pushing forward in a recreation of the Reds’ Premier League-winning midfield of 2024/25.AttackThis is where the real question marks now lie for Iraola, and it is safe to say that he will be putting great emphasis on Bradley Barcola.Barcola has reiterated his wish to play on the left of the attack whenever possible for Liverpool, and there is the option to do that here. Having chosen to pack the midfield and put Wirtz on the left, though, we think the Frenchman is the prime candidate to play through the middle.Barcola has played at centre-forward previously, and playing him close to Wirtz in a left-central spot should attract City defenders and leave space on the right for Victor Munoz to exploit.Rio Ngumoha is obviously an option here, as is integrating Lewis Koumas somehow, but in terms of form and potential impact, we’d have a Wirtz/Barcola/Munoz front three down as the best Liverpool can do here.