Overview
- Manchester City beat Borussia Dortmund 4-1 in the Champions League, with Phil Foden scoring twice and Erling Haaland adding another as Pep Guardiola criticized his team's poor opening spell.
- Liverpool defeated Real Madrid 1-0 at Anfield to build momentum after a rough run, with Arne Slot lauding their set-piece edge in the win.
- Arne Slot said Alexander Isak may make the squad but will not start, confirmed Jeremie Frimpong and Alisson Becker are out for Sunday, and revealed youngster Giovanni Leoni faces about a year out with an ACL injury.
- The result carries major title-race implications, with the Associated Press noting City could fall nine points behind Arsenal with a loss and Liverpool could slip 10 points back if beaten.
- Rodri missed the Dortmund match after a recent hamstring issue and his availability for Sunday is uncertain, while local reporting discusses Slot weighing a potential Florian Wirtz false-nine option.