‘We have weapons again’ – Pep Guardiola makes confident claim before facing Liverpool…

‘We have weapons once more’ – Pep Guardiola expresses confidence ahead of Liverpool match

As Manchester City’s injury concerns begin to ease just in time for our visit to the Etihad, Pep Guardiola has stated that he now possesses “weapons” at his disposal again – a clear indication that Liverpool must be at their very best to counter this threat.

Guardiola’s assured statement prior to Liverpool’s arrival.

In a conversation with mancity.com before Sunday’s encounter, the City manager remarked: “Look at the bench now, we have the tools to alter systems and dynamics. The players coming off the bench can significantly influence the game.”

The Spaniard, who led his team to a third-place finish last season, noted that the return of crucial players following a challenging injury period has enhanced their squad depth.

“Last season, that wasn’t possible, and it was the primary reason [for our struggles],” he clarified. “Now we possess strength in depth. Anyone can have a substantial impact at any time.”

This serves as a clear alert ahead of what promises to be another significant Premier League encounter between the league’s most fierce rivals in recent times.

However, City will still be without Mateo Kovacic, as the Croatian has been sidelined until March 2026 due to an ankle injury, as reported by premierleagueinjuries.com.

Guardiola confirmed that the midfielder “will be out for an extended period,” but his absence is balanced by the return of several other players.

Liverpool’s reaction will be crucial in determining our title ambitions.

From our viewpoint, this presents another opportunity to assess how far Arne Slot’s team has progressed since the rebuild this summer.

The manager has already indicated in his pre-match briefing that Alexander Isak is back in full training, although he cautioned fans not to expect him “to be at his peak right away.”

The 47-year-old also disclosed that Alisson Becker and Jeremie Frimpong are expected to return following the international break, providing added stability and depth to our defense.

In the meantime, Opta’s supercomputer forecast favored City, assigning Guardiola’s team a 45.4% probability of winning, while Liverpool was given a 27.7% chance. However, statistics often fail to capture the complete narrative when these two teams clash.

Mo Salah is merely one goal or assist away from breaking Wayne Rooney’s record for the highest number of goal contributions at a single club, particularly against an opponent he has consistently excelled against.

While City may believe they have regained their “weapons,” we have been quietly honing ours over the past two matches.