Arne Slot’s side have spurned chances and need to restore scoring touch in time for Manchester City on Sunday

The path to Munich suddenly looks more complicated for Liverpool, with Paris Saint-Germain and potentially Real Madrid standing in the way of a Champions League final appearance. Scant reward for finishing top of the 36-team group stage. Sunday is an opportunity to make the road to a record-equalling 20th league title run smooth in comparison, as perhaps it already should be.

Liverpool encounters with Manchester City have been often decisive in Premier League title races and the latest could be no different, although only where Arne Slot’s team are concerned. There is an end-of-an-era feel to Pep Guardiola’s side, wounded by an early exit from the Champions League on Wednesday and desperate to react against adversaries intent on taking their Premier League crown. Deepening City’s malaise, however, would be secondary to rediscovering title-winning form for Slot and deflating Arsenal’s hopes of bridging the gap in the process.