Finish them! Liverpool must show Man City no mercy and ensure shambolic champions can't battle back into Premier League title fight

Having won 16 of their 18 games under Slot, Liverpool could have hardly been in better shape going into Wednesday's clash at Anfield. Certain figures in the media were concerned by the effect that Mohamed Salah's contract bombshell might have on the players going into two massive matches - but the misguided Jamie Carragher-led criticism of the Egyptian was actually a source of amusement for the players rather than a distraction.

"Carragher's been getting a bit of stick in the changing room, that's for sure!" left-back Andy Robertson revealed on CBS Sportsafter Madrid had been swept aside with the kind of stirring second-half showing that is becoming synonymous with Slot.

Of course, Salah squandered a spot-kick during the game, but it was a penalty he had won himself by embarrassing Ferland Mendy with his Lionel Messi-esque footwork, and his overall performance was exemplary.

Salah may have been accused of selfishness by Carragher, but he worked tirelessly for his team all evening, and even picked poor Kylian Mbappe's pocket at one point. The two superstars had something in common in the sense that both missed a penalty on the evening in question but, in terms of effort and efficacy, Salah was operating on a whole other plane to the suddenly fragile Frenchman.

So, there's zero reason to worry about Salah's form being in any way affected by the fact that his contract is up at the end of the season - particularly when one considers that Liverpool's Egyptian King often saves his very best performances - and goals - for games against City.

Still, while there are no doubts over Salah's starter status, the same cannot be said for Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan led the line well against Madrid and annoyed the hell out of Antonio Rudiger & Co. with his movement, pressing and (often embarrassing) histrionics. Slot may well ask him to produce a repeat performance against City.

However, there is a strong case to be made for rewarding Cody Gakpo for another impactful introduction off the bench with a starting spot on Sunday. The Dutchman has been in and out of the team this season, and is playing more in his preferred role on the left wing, and yet he's still scored seven goals - four more than Nunez.

There's a chance, then, that Slot will consider moving Luis Diaz into the middle to accommodate Gakpo out wide - as the Dutchman did to devastating effect against Bayer Leverkusen, when the Colombian winger hit a hat-trick in a 4-0 win.

At this particular point in the time, the rest of the team picks itself - unless injuries intervene.

There was always a chance that Slot fielding his strongest side against Madrid might end up costing Liverpool against City. After all, it was always going to be a high-quality encounter, and thus physically demanding. Only on Sunday will we really know how much overwhelming the champions of Europe took out of the Reds.

We're also still in the dark over the fitness of both Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley. The former finished the game on Wednesday, but was in real discomfort as he hobbled off after the full-time whistle after seemingly jarring his knee in a collision with Madrid substitute Endrick.

There have been mixed reports over the Frenchman's current condition, but Slot unquestionably needs Konate at 100 per cent, given he's played with an uncharacteristic level of consistency since coming on at half-time in the season-opening win at Ipswich, and his partnership with Virgil van Dijk is one of the key factors in Liverpool's fantastic form.

If Konate is not deemed fit to start against City, Jarell Quansah or Joe Gomez could come into the centre of defence - but neither man boasts anything like the same level of physicality, which will be vital when it comes to containing Erling Haaland.

Bradley's potential unavailability, though, is also a cause for concern. For starters, he was brilliant in the win over Madrid, turning in arguably his best-ever performance in a red shirt - that it arrived in such a high-profile fixture against top-quality opposition is testament to the Northern Irishman's quality. Bradley was so good, in fact, that he made the prospect of losing Trent Alexander-Arnold for nothing at the end of the season a little less terrifying.

He was outstanding defensively and his crunching tackle on Mbappe drew one of the biggest cheers of the evening (which is really saying something!), while he caused Madrid all sorts of problems when he moved forward, and his assist for Alexis Mac Allister's crucial opening goal was just reward for a dynamic display.

It would be an awful shame for Bradley - and a worry for Liverpool - if he's unable to face City, as Alexander-Arnold hasn't featured since being forced off against Aston Villa just before the last international break.

Slot says the England international is fit enough to start, but throwing him straight into the starting line-up against City is hardly an ideal scenario - especially as Alexander-Arnold didn't even get off the bench against Madrid, which Slot had hoped to do in order to boost the regular right-back's match fitness.

Of course, while Liverpool have the odd injury issue, it's nothing compared to their opponents' plethora of problems. And besides, City seem to be struggling more mentally than physically right now, with five successive defeats having shattered their self-belief to such an extent that they capitulated in the final 15 minutes of Tuesday's 3-3 draw with Feyenoord. The English champions had the game at the Etihad completely under control, yet went to pieces as soon as Josko Gvardiol gifted the visitors a goal.

It was all so untypical of City and left Pep Guardiola scratching his head - literally. His team's dramatic dip can be partly attributed to injuries and individual errors, but they don't fully explain the collective collapse in confidence - particularly as City fielded a seriously strong side against Feyenoord.

Guardiola's side remains stacked with serial winners, though, and they are specialists in recovering from blips, the masters of coming on strong in the second half of the season, meaning they simply cannot be ruled out of the title race just yet. However, that only makes Sunday's game all the more important from Liverpool's perspective. They have a chance to put 11 points between themselves and the team that's won the last four titles; they cannot afford to let it pass them by.

A draw would hardly be a disaster for Liverpool, but a defeat for City would be devastating. As against Madrid, then, there can be no let up - and no mercy. Liverpool know better than anyone else what City are capable of when put under pressure; they know how Guardiola's serial winners usually respond to testing times.

This feels different, though. City have not been in such a vulnerable position, and at such an early stage of the season, for many years. We've not even reached the end of November and they're already clinging on to their title for dear life, meaning the onus is very much on Slot's side to finish them off.