Archive November 9, 2025

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described meeting Liverpool in his 1,000th game as a manager as “the destiny of the universe” after their shared domination of English football in recent years.

The past eight Premier League titles have gone to the two superpowers, with City claiming the crown six times in that period, including a historic sequence of four in a row.

City and Liverpool meet at Etihad Stadium on Sunday (16:30 GMT) with the possibility that their Premier League destiny this season will be heavily shaped by the outcome.

To add a twist to the tale, these two long-time Premier League pace-setters now form part of a chasing pack.

Arsenal have had their noses pressed against the window in the face of City and Liverpool’s superiority in recent years but, for now at least, the Gunners are the hunted rather than the hunters.

Mikel Arteta’s league leaders could have been nine points clear of Pep Guardiola’s side and 10 ahead of Liverpool had they not dropped two late points at Sunderland on Saturday night, Brian Brobbey’s stoppage-time equaliser giving the Black Cats a 2-2 draw.

Title margins in most recent seasons have been so fine that had Arsenal won, the losing team on Sunday, if there is one, may have been left to reflect that the race was starting to get away from them, even after only 11 games.

Arsenal’s advantage was starting to look highly significant until the 94th minute at Sunderland, because anything more than a 10-point lead in the Premier League has only been lost three times.

It would have been too early to dismiss teams of the quality of Manchester City and Liverpool, especially as both are showing signs of returning to their formidable best after stumbles earlier this season.

Now, if anything, Arsenal’s late concession at the Stadium of Light has upped the ante even further before this latest clash between City and Liverpool.

In Liverpool, Guardiola has the one opponent he has found it difficult to master – first under Jurgen Klopp and then Arne Slot, whose title winners did the double over him last season.

Guardiola has managed City in 18 Premier League games against Liverpool, winning only five, drawing seven and losing six. In all competitions he has played 24, won six, drawn eight and lost 10.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss knows what is riding on the latest confrontation, with Arsenal’s excellence adding to the pressure.

Guardiola knew Arsenal were building a team capable of chasing a championship. He is waiting to see whether they have the stamina to keep up their fast start.

“The last two or three years, after the process to rebuild the club and the team, Arsenal are there. It is exceptional what they are doing for two or three seasons,” Guardiola said.

“But it is early November. Nobody wins the title in early November. You can lose it – but nobody wins it.

“I know how quickly things change. One week ago it was Liverpool ‘disaster, disaster’ and now they win two and it’s ‘are they back to their best?’

“I’m sure the managers take a little bit more perspective of the situation.

“Always in a season there are ups and down.”

Liverpool head coach Slot is equally convinced there can be twists and turns in the title race, but the significance of this game cannot be escaped or underestimated.

Slot said: “At the moment, it’s not about looking at the league table. It’s just trying to win as many games as you can and give yourself the best position you can.

“But definitely two very good teams are going to play against each other and what the future will bring, we will see.

“Our only focus is ourselves. We have to get consistent improvement, get players fit and then see where it leads to.

“City is a game on its own. Playing away from home against them is one of the most difficult challenges we have throughout the season. These are the games everyone looks forward to.”

Slot’s return to his title-winning midfield of Ryan Gravenberch, Alex Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai has given Liverpool a more familiar, winning look in their past two games against Aston Villa and Real Madrid, with Hungarian Szoboszlai a key figure.

“Dominik has been outstanding throughout the season,” said Slot, “but the last two games brought even more out of the team and him. I really like his work without the ball, but in these games it was probably even above his own high standards.”

If Liverpool can win the midfield battle at Etihad Stadium, they will believe they can flourish – but an improving Manchester City will feel equally confident.

Erling Haaland scored his 27th goal of the season for club and country in City’s 4-1 win against his former club Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday.

It has been a remarkable run of form, even by the standards of arguably the most deadly striker in world football.

The irresistible force meets the immovable object when Haaland comes up against Virgil van Dijk on Sunday. This is the personal duel that will go a long way to deciding the destiny of the points.

Norwegian Haaland will be determined to finally end his uncharacteristically indifferent record against Liverpool’s Dutch captain.

Since joining City in July 2022, Haaland has started five games against Van Dijk and is still seeking his first win, with three defeats and two draws. The Norwegian’s only victory against Liverpool came in the League Cup fourth round in December 2022, when he scored in a 3-2 triumph, but Van Dijk did not play.

Former Liverpool and England defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Sport: “If you look for key areas where the game will be won and lost, from Liverpool’s point of view it will be stopping Haaland, but the key to that will all come from the midfield area, and stopping the balls through to him.

Warnock added: “Much of any battle between Van Dijk and Haaland will depend on the service Haaland gets, and then it will be between Van Dijk and [Ibrahima] Konate to stop him. It is up to Haaland who his main opponent will be, anyway. If he plays on Konate then there is nothing Van Dijk can do, and vice versa.

“The main thing Liverpool have to do is try to stop the passes at source and prevent the balls being played into him. It will be down to Liverpool’s midfielders to prevent City’s creative players picking their heads up, like Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki were doing against Bournemouth last weekend, and playing those passes.”

Former England striker Chris Sutton believes personal pride will also fuel the confrontation between Haaland and Van Dijk.

“It will be fascinating,” says Sutton. “Van Dijk will have that kind of pride where he will be determined to get the better of Haaland, because Liverpool’s backline has come in for a lot of criticism.

Autumn Nations Series: Wales v Argentina

Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Sunday, 9 November Kick-off: 15:10 GMT

The Steve Tandy era starts today in Cardiff against Argentina with Welsh rugby hoping for an urgent reset.

The Welsh game is in disarray and needs some sort of feelgood factor.

Off the field, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) needs to demonstrate to supporters they can run the game effectively after recent controversies has resulted in public distrust towards the governing body.

On the field, the Welsh public want to see a men’s national side restore an identity and eventually return to winning ways, after a recently-ended record 18-match losing run which has seen them slip to 12th in the world.

After ending the horrid run of defeats with victory against Japan in Kobe in their second summer Test, Wales now usher in a new era with Tandy the first Welshman to become the permanent coach of the national team since Gareth Jenkins left office in 2007.

Be tough, brave and smart. That has been the fresh motto with buzz words including ‘identity’ and ‘connections’.

Tandy was a no-nonsense flanker during his playing days and the former Scotland and British and Irish Lions defence coach has made a positive impression in his first few weeks in charge.

The 45-year-old has brought a fresh outlook to how Wales operate and hopes to translate that to the pitch by reawakening a once proud rugby nation.

But he can not be expected to work miracles. Any improvement will be gradual and Tandy deserves time to try and turn Welsh rugby’s flagging fortunes around.

Tandy is inheriting a squad not used to success with the Welsh regions, and has named 11 players based in England and France in his first matchday 23.

One of those is returning Saracens prop Rhys Carre, who makes his first appearance since 2023 after falling out of favour with previous Wales coach Warren Gatland and his perceived unavailability under the WRU’s 25-cap selection policy.

With a loophole in the rules discovered, Carre returns to start, while the biggest cheer of the day might be reserved for when Bristol wing Louis Rees-Zammit enters the field from the replacements bench.

Rees-Zammit is back after an 18-month spell in the NFL at the Kansas City Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars and has been grabbing the headlines again.

Another season has presented another crisis in Welsh rugby. Two-and-a-half years on from Wales players stepping back from taking strike action before a Six Nations fixture against England, the domestic game is in turmoil again with the WRU proposing plans to cut one of the nation’s four regions.

The governing body announced the policy of cutting one of the four professional sides a couple of days before the squad assembled under Tandy for the first time.

In April the governing body were still suggesting they could fund four professional sides equally. By August, the preference had dropped to two sides and two months later, three is now the optimal number.

How they get there or by what date remains unclear, meaning there remains major uncertainty for players.

The WRU has confirmed it plans to grant three licences for men’s clubs – one for Cardiff, one in the east and one in the west. That means Ospreys and Scarlets could be set to do battle for WRU funding and the licence in the west.

This leaves some Welsh players preparing for autumn internationals wondering whether they will have a club next season or where they might be playing.

The players and coaches are trying to talk publicly about controlling what happens on the field, attempting to solely concentrate on rugby matters.

Wales are hoping to turn the Principality Stadium back into a home fortress, having not won an international in Cardiff for 27 months.

Since beating England in a World Cup warm-up match in August 2023, Wales have suffered nine straight home Test defeats, a losing record which has stretched back 827 days.

The most recent Wales game in Cardiff was eight months ago – the horrific 68-14 home Six Nations defeat inflicted by England.

That was a record loss for the hosts in the Welsh capital, the most points they have conceded at the Principality Stadium, their heaviest Six Nations defeat, a record loss in the tournament and most points conceded against England.

So Wales have to make amends in a ground that is no longer a fortress. Tandy’s side face Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa in November, before home 2026 Six Nations matches against France, Scotland and Italy, in a tournament where Wales last won a home match in February 2022.

How many fans will turn up to watch Tandy’s side this month remains to be seen with the current discontent surrounding the Welsh game.

The Principality Stadium’s capacity is 74,500, meaning the four matches could attract a maximum of 298,000 supporters in November.

Wales’ clash against the All Blacks is currently the only game close to being a sellout.

There have been numerous anecdotal stories about some tickets now being available at a discounted rate and even being given away for free.

There is something tangible at stake this November. Wales will be among teams looking to pick up crucial ranking points before the draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup on 3 December.

Sides will be drawn into six pools of four for the group stage of the tournament in Australia.

The top six sides in the world rankings will be placed in band one for the draw and would therefore avoid playing each other in the pool stage, while the next six sides will form the second band.

Wales are currently 12th and will want to stay in the top dozen to avoid falling out of the second group of teams and therfore facing an even trickier World Cup draw.

Victory against Japan in the second autumn fixture is essential to achieve this in a crucial game with regards to World Cup seedings.

Before that Japan date, Argentina arrive in Cardiff today as firm favourites. Los Pumas are sixth in the world rankings and fresh from some outstanding results in the Rugby Championship where Felipe Contepomi’s side recorded historic victories against Australia and New Zealand.

The battle-hardened matchday squad have 944 caps between them, more than 400 more than Wales possess.

Wales will also face the best two sides in the world to conclude the campaign with New Zealand and world champions South Africa arriving in Cardiff on successive weekends.

The final game against the Springboks is outside World Rugby’s international window which means Wales will be without their players based in England and France.

It also clashes with a United Rugby Championship (URC) league weekend where the four Welsh professional sides will be without their internationals.

So the next few weeks will provide more testing times on and off the pitch as the battle to win hearts and minds intensifies.

Tandy’s team will search for some success and the WRU aim to somehow map out Welsh rugby’s future.

Welsh fans just need something to hold onto – that things can and will be different in the future after the exhausting soap opera of the past few years.