Both Liverpool and Manchester City began 2020 by booking their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup and, according to the bookmakers, the Premier League pair are heavily fancied to reach the latter stages of the competition once again. Despite their dominance in the top flight, Liverpool find themselves behind the Citizens in the FA Cup outright betting market, although the sheer depth and quality of their squad makes them a far more tempting proposition to lift the trophy at the end of May.
Jurgen Klopp’s side will travel to face either Bristol City or Shrewsbury at the end of January, whilst Pep’s men will be hosting Championship outfit Fulham at the Etihad Stadium. Both sides have successfully avoided a clash with fellow Premier League opposition and they will both be expected to book their place in the fifth round of the historic competition as a result.
Manchester City eased past Port Vale at the beginning of January, although the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and John Stones all played 90 minutes against the League Two outfit. Fans will have been delighted to see the likes of Joao Cancelo and Angelino get some valuable minutes under their belts, whilst Phil Foden continues to improve with every game. Liverpool named an almost entirely second-string team against Everton and even a first-half injury to James Milner didn’t derail their progress. Reds supporters are understandably excited about a number of fringe players including 24-year old Takumi Minamino, who played 70 minutes against the Toffees and could prove to be the ideal back-up for the front three.
The Merseyside outfit are currently 1/50 in the Premier League odds to win the title and with a 13-point advantage over Leicester City, as well as a game in hand, the Reds can afford to dabble in some late-season squad rotation if necessary. Having negotiated the hectic festive schedule, Klopp’s men will look to continue their momentum in 2020, and the German boss will be looking to use the likes of Adam Lallana and Curtis Jones more frequently over the coming months.
Curtis Jones scores his first senior goal and Takumi Minamino makes his debut as Liverpool taste derby joy in the FA Cup. ??
Liverpool stars in the making? ? pic.twitter.com/7Cp7LFtVAk
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 5, 2020
Although Pep is slowly beginning to put his faith in the younger squad members, the club appear to have fewer standout prospects on their books. The likes of Tommy Doyle and Eric Garcia have featured in cup competitions this season, yet their appearances have been few and far between. In contrast, Liverpool were able to introduce 19-year-old Yasser Larouci, who adequately stepped up to replace the stricken Milner on January 5th.
With the Reds available at 7/2 for FA Cup success this season, they look far better value than favourites Manchester City, and Klopp’s unwavering faith in youth may be key to their chances of making it to Wembley this season. He described his team as ‘sensationally good’ against Everton and although their detractors may point to the fact that their rivals created very little in the second half, it was still a significant step forward for the squad as a whole.
Despite numerous changes, Liverpool managed to keep yet another clean sheet against their Merseyside rivals, making it five in a row in all competitions. Even without Virgil Van Dijk, they still managed to keep top-flight opposition off the score-sheet and that bodes extremely well for their chances of FA Cup success this season.
