Maresca: Man City ready for Anfield pressure test

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca says his squad is fully equipped to handle the pressure of Sunday's Premier League clash at Anfield, with kick-off set for 16:30 (UK time).

City travel to Liverpool on the back of five straight Premier League wins, sitting top of the table. Liverpool are also unbeaten, setting up a meeting between the division's two form sides.

"It will be a tough game for sure. Tough test. We need to be ready," Maresca said at Friday's press conference. "The focus has to be about the game but also we know the environment in Anfield is nice and probably it will be worse because of the situation, but we will try to do our best to win the game."

Maresca was confident his players have the temperament to cope with one of English football's most demanding atmospheres. "Absolutely they can face the pressure. Absolutely. We have players that have experienced similar situations."

The City boss pointed to midfielder Enzo Fernandez as an example of a player already accustomed to high-stakes environments. "I don't know, Enzo Fernandez has played in Argentina. In Argentina, it's almost every game to go to Anfield," he said.

The fixture continues a long-running rivalry between the two clubs, who traded blows in multiple title races during the Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp era.