The Liverpool FC match should solve Pep Guardiola’s most pressing Man City starting lineup conundrum.

Manchester City and Liverpool have renewed their top-of-the-table rivalry after putting it on the back burner for a few seasons. After what is likely to be a long international break, domestic football will resume with a matchup that will leave fans salivating.

On Saturday, November 25, at 7:30 a.m. EST, City will host their old rivals at Etihad Stadium. City presently leads its opponents for second place by one point. A game this early in the season will never decide the championship, but the victor might strike fear into the hearts of their rivals before the most important and frenetic period of the season.

After losing points to another strong team in their previous match, Pep Guardiola and his squad will be more motivated than ever to regain their form with a victory.

On Sunday, the team played Chelsea to a thrilling 4-4 tie, but the manager was beside himself as he witnessed his team completely lose control of the match.

Like in their season-opening loss to Wolves, City suffered when the game devolved into a series of swift transitions in which their opponents were able to assert control. Similar to Wolves, Chelsea’s counterattack quickness caused problems for City, who are weak in that area.

Of course, City scored four goals this time around, as they were still able to assert their own game on Chelsea, which is a marked improvement over the unrecognizable performance at Molineux. Jack Grealish was benched for both games.

This season, Grealish has taken some criticism from City fans mostly because he isn’t Jeremy Doku. While Grealish’s expressive, individualistic part of his game had to be muzzled when he joined the Blues so that he could become a cog in the machine, Doku has been given the freedom to do whatever he wants.

Doku has responded by delivering thrilling performances, solidifying his position as a fan favorite. The young Belgian’s pace and directness make him a joy to watch, while Grealish’s methodical technique (cutting back, short passes, winning fouls) is, well, somewhat dull.

But what all that dull effort does is allow City to keep hold of the ball, influence the tempo and control the game. Grealish may not be as spectacular going forward, but what he contributes instead has been key to City’s success over the past year, as evidenced by his performance in the Manchester derby.