Final top four standings of the 2018-19 Premier League

With the Premier League title race going down to the last two matches, Saturday night feels definitive. If Jurgen Klopp can put Liverpool top one more time, it might be enough for Leicester City to pull off a minor miracle. Before that, though, Liverpool need to head to the past and take on an old rival in Newcastle United, with former Liverpool legend Rafael Benitez in charge. What happens?

Newcastle United News

The Toon are without a few of their more important players, including Miguel Amiron and Florian Lejune. Sean Longstaff will miss out, also, while Jamaal Lascelles and Ayoze Perez are both doubts. That’s some key players missing from the stating line-up, and could see Javier Manquillo, formerly of Liverpool, come into the first-team to keep out DeAndre Yedlin.

The injuries are a bit of a blow for Newcastle, but the fact that Perez and Lascelles could make it does leave Newcastle with some hope that their best defender and best attacker will make it out onto the pitch.

Liverpool News

The Reds, meanwhile, are only short on two players: Adam Lallana and Naby Keita. The explosive Guinean done a bad groin injury and looks set to be out for some time, while Lallana is injured again and has barely played this season due to it. The time for Liverpool to worry about squad depth, though, has passed: they just need to win.

Expect Roberto Firmino to start again, and also expect to see a bit of rotation up front with one of Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah to miss out. This is a huge test for Liverpool, in terms of mentality, fitness, and readiness to compete.

Verdict

Liverpool win – but only just. They are on such a good run that we cannot see them slipping up so close to the end. We don’t think it will be enough, but they’ll do the business here.

As one of the biggest games in the English football calendar, the stakes on Wednesday night add another layer of pressure. As the Citizens head across the city to Old Trafford, they know the price of not winning. Victory is one more hurdle – the hardest left – to the title, stopping Liverpool from ending three decades of hurt. A draw or a loss, though, opens the floor up to Merseyside.

Manchester United News

Forget rivalry and forget the nonsense about United ‘lying down’ to City to stop a Liverpool title win. City are more than good enough to win at Old Trafford on their own. Untied are in poor form and were eviscerated by Everton at the weekend.

Fitness is not a great issue in terms of injuries – but in terms of form. United look lethargic and they looked tired. If they are to do anything other than play the role of a derby opponent, they need to find many levels more than they have in recent weeks. Expect guts and aggression in midfield, with the potential for Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku to lead the line – both have experience in this fixture.

Manchester City News

The loss of Kevin de Bruyne is, undoubtedly, a blow for Man City. However, they ‘only’ have to consider a line-up of Fernandinho alongside Bernardo and David Silva. What a hard choice. In defence, we expect to see Aymeric Laporte line-up alongside John Stones. They’ll expect some cover from the midfield, while a front three of Sergio Aguero, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling will start up front.

Expect City to play it cautious, tight and compact: they can wait all night for a goal.

Verdict

City win. United will have to show something here to get the fans back onside, but even at their best they probably aren’t good enough to beat City. Unless hubris gets the better of City on a big away day again, we cannot see anything other than a win for the blue half of Manchester – effectively sealing the league title.

For many, David de Gea is the best goalkeeper on the planet. While the likes of Jan Oblak and older legends of the game such as Gigi Buffon and Iker Casillas may dispute that, the Madrid-born star is a true icon of the modern game. With a reputation for turning unbelievable shots into routine saves, and reaching shots he has no right to get to, de Gea has long been one of the most promising keepers in the world.

Ever since he broke through into the Atletico Madrid first-team in 2009, he soon became an elite member of the goalkeeping community. From a young age, he was seen as the long-term successor for Casillas himself. At Atletico Madrid, he picked up European honours as he starred in their 2010 UEFA Europa League and Super Cup successes.

In 2011, though, the star was on the move as he became the long-term successor to Edwin van der Sar at Manchester United. As one of the last major signings by Alex Ferguson to be a major success, his then-record move for a goalkeeper in Britain ensured he soon became a legend for the club.

At just 27, the keeper has been one of the best performers of his age group. His incredible flexibility makes him a simple choice for most when looking at the top keepers in the world. In fact, since he arrived in the Premier League, he’s been among the top keepers in the league for making saves per game.

Given he plays for a top club, that shows just how good de Gea is. Often, top club keepers are underworked; the Spaniard manages to help United win many games where they play below their standards but still win. From making wild saves to consistency, he’s the full package for a shot stopping keeper.