Prepare for an occasion glittering with the charm of an authentic event, with resounding cheers for a passing bus, and television effects that dazzle and sizzle. Eventually, a gaunt man with legs like twigs will show off his quick-fire touchline mime, spinning both hands and yanking imaginary switches as if manoeuvring an invisible submarine.
Goals will inevitably grace the pitch. Liverpool and Manchester City have collectively scored 50 goals in the 14 fixtures leading up to their Sunday matinee clash at Anfield. However, the game will likely also be notable for its close shaves, botched shots, off-mark kicks and trembling crossbars. Risks will be taken, and amidst all this, substantial opportunities will also slip through hands.
Despite the allure of dialling down the buzz in anticipation of a highly anticipated contest between the Premier League’s front runners, we understand the predictable narrative that surrounds these events: discussions of one-on-one face-offs, mano-a-mano clashes and critical moments destined to dictate the title.
Often, reality presents a different picture. History reminds us that there are no single games that determine the title, especially with a good 10 matches left, a resilient Arsenal complicating the run-in, and a schedule hinting that the three-pronged title race could pivot on whom can do better against Spurs.
Nevertheless, this game still resonates like a bona fide decider, considering recent seasons’ last-gasp title fights. It also has the characteristics of a particularly unpredictable contest, pitting two teams with starkly different, yet somehow oddly synonymous dominant strikers.
Erling Haaland and Darwin Núñez have been an interesting pair to pit against each other since their identical pricetag arrivals in England, just days apart. They bring an unusual athleticism and agility to their shared position of tall, rangy strikers. An intriguing dynamic has emerged, their pivotal roles and capabilities reflecting not only their moments of brilliance but also their moments of vulnerability.
In one corner stands Haaland, the epitome of a potent striker, a sharp blade in a championship triumph side, who also occasionally appears to play as though with spades tied to his boots. At the opposing end stands the Premier League’s notorious troublemaker, a footballer whose action doesn’t merely contribute to a football match, but crashes into it, somersaulting around the heart of Jürgen Klopp’s attack with growing potency.
Both are experiencing outstanding seasons. For Pep Guardiola, the midfield maestro, Haaland signifies a strategic evolution, while Núñez represents a reversion, somewhat closer to the explosive, inventive gegenpressing of Klopp’s early days.
Along the way, the glaring omission, the mega-flub, has been a standout attribute of both sides’ seasons. The fact that Liverpool and City are topping the Premier League’s Missed Opportunities chart (with Liverpool leading at 52 and City two back) is not a fresh revelation. It’s partly a numbers game: the best teams generate more opportunities, thereby scoring more but also missing more. Squandering a chance is simply a routine for excellent players, occurring amidst the crushing of adversaries’ hopes and aspirations with their resilient defiance of fear or perceiving it as a sign of human frailty.
However, there are a couple of noteworthy sub-points. First, the stark dominance of both main strikers in those missed opportunities. Haaland leads the individual tally with 26, while Núñez is second, also making up about half of his team’s total misses. Both are on track to outdo last season’s counts.
It’s not hard to understand why. City’s entire strategy now revolves around crafting opportunities for their primary scorer. Maintaining constant possession in the attacking third is the crux of their strategy. Naturally, Haaland missing some of these chances they create will become an element of the match, particularly when the dramatic miss offers a clear variation in a game that is otherwise flawless and consistently dominant. As we saw in last week’s monumental miss at the Etihad, where Haaland descended unexpectedly like a wounded zeppelin to knock the ball not just slightly, but significantly above the crossbar.
Haaland’s unique manner of missing strikes – referred to as the power-miss, which involves a mix of clumsy footwork and raw aggression – is notably linked with his exceptional attributes. Haaland’s unparalleled blend of size, speed and accuracy is what sets him apart. Like Usain Bolt, who was known for his long stride and swift, powerful sprints, Haaland also showcases a similar variety of large-scale traits and human-level execution. His close-range power, combined with his capacity to launch an assault from 30 yards, makes him fundamentally unstoppable over time.
However, this also explains his pattern of missed chances, as the way City plays often demands him to depend on intricate tactics and swift-passing opportunities near the goal. When things aren’t going right, he misses with flair, reminding us that being a tall man in a confined space has its challenges. Rather than narrowly missing goalposts, we witness dramatic thuds into the turf and headers sailing over the bar, evoking a sense of a large man trying to fit into the cramped rear seat of a microcar.
Haaland doesn’t let misses deter him, he keeps his energy consistent knowing that it will ultimately lead to success. City, however, may be worried about instances where he completely disappears from play, particularly against superior teams with solid individual defenders. As City’s spearhead, Haaland makes the team both more deadly and more susceptible to counterattacks. He may not possess tremendous versatility or higher levels of skill, but his presence unquestionably shapes this team from defense to attack.
In contrast, Núñez has had a comparable impact on Liverpool in recent months, but through a completely different set of skills. His missed shots are distinct – he maintains absolute control over his body but is continually able to hit shockingly wide of the mark, or strike the post with unnecessary force and precision.
Núñez’s constant, high-energy chaos is his trademark strength even though he frequently misses opportunities – something that comes as part and parcel of his game. Despite not being on par with Haaland in terms of goal scoring, he showcases his proficiency through his significant contribution of 21 tackles and interceptions, 592 touches, 36 take-ons, and carrying the ball a distance of 2,149 meters this season – statistics prominent for his position.
Núñez’s perpetual motion and attraction to the nearest opponent, instead of lying in wait for the perfect shot, mirrors the ancient Greeks’ concept of “frenzy”. It paints a picture of an unwavering labyrinth of impacts, angles, shot attempts and diversionary runs. His misses, reminiscent of Haaland’s, become an acceptable part of his game considering the qualities he brings. It’s noteworthy that Liverpool last suffered a defeat with Núñez on the starting roster against Real Madrid in March of the previous year, despite the occasional droughts.
Both Guardiola, more so, and his counterpart have historically lusted for dominance, having claimed league titles by ball possession and minimizing uncertainties during games. However, the feeling isn’t quite the same at present, leading up to a match which will invariably hinge on seized and squandered moments alike.
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