Three Man City players who must start alongside Erling Haaland vs Liverpool after Borussia Dortmund masterclass
Pep Guardiola may already have his starting lineup selected to face Liverpool after putting Borussia Dortmund to the sword in the Champions League.
Erling Haaland was on target for Man City once again, but not before Phil Foden reminded the Etihad Stadium of his abilities in front of goal, rocketing home the opener in the 22nd minute.
Some have raised concerns over Foden, but the England international was quickly on hand to secure his brace before Rayan Cherki scored off the bench, rendering Waldemar Anton’s late goal meaningless.
If the Citizens are to get the best of Arne Slot‘s Reds on Sunday, 9 November, however, they will need to be absolutely perfect. While it was a bright display in Europe, it was not faultless.
With a huge Premier League clash in mind, Football Insider has chosen three players who simply cannot be dropped after the 3-1 win over Dortmund.
Nico O’Reilly
Nico O’Reilly has been in fine form for Man City, rounding off the win over Bournemouth with a goal, and the full-back will feel unlucky not to get himself on the scoresheet once more in Europe.
While he picked up a yellow card towards the end of the game, there was very little that could be said to knock the 20-year-old gem back after popping up all over the pitch.
He had multiple efforts at goal, was defensively sound against some tough attackers, remained calm under pressure, and never let anything faze him as City claimed another Champions League win.
Phil Foden
What more can be said about Foden? There is no doubt that the 25-year-old’s form took a huge hit, but he has responded to his doubters with several clinical performances this season.
| Phil Foden vs Borussia Dortmund | Stats [FotMob] |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Goals / Assists | 2 / 0 |
| Chances created | 3 |
| Successful dribbles | 100% (2/2) |
| Recoveries | 5 |
| Ground duels won | 60% (3/5) |
Both of his efforts flew into the back of the net with very little effort, and might have even taken the matchball home had one of his other two long-range shots beaten the goalkeeper.
There has been a lot of talk about the lack of goals surrounding Haaland, but if Foden keeps his form going, Liverpool will be running escaped ahead of the weekend.
Tijjani Reijnders
Provider for Foden, Tijjani Reijnders, grabbed a duo of assists against Dortmund as he helped City run out 4-1 winners at the Etihad Stadium in their third victory of the Champions League campaign.
Some have been slightly disappointed by the midfielder’s arrival in the summer, but after being unleashed in Europe, supporters are finally getting to see exactly what he can bring to the final third.