Manchester City travel to Liverpool on Sunday with questions swirling around them, and Anfield will offer no sympathy.
Few fixtures in the Premier League carry the weight of Liverpool against Manchester City, and this Sunday's meeting at Anfield arrives with an edge. City head to Merseyside with uncertainty hanging over the club, and the question being asked is whether their season can still mean something.
The rivalry has shaped the modern English game. These two sides have pushed each other to extraordinary standards, and the fixture has often decided where the title ends up. That history makes this trip a test of character as much as quality.
Anfield has a reputation for turning up the heat, and a City side dealing with doubt will feel it from the first whistle. The atmosphere will be loud and unforgiving. Liverpool will want to use it to land a punch on a direct rival.
For City, the match is a chance to quiet the noise and show that the pressure around them hasn't dulled their edge. A big result on enemy territory would change the mood quickly. A setback would only feed the debate about where their campaign is heading.
Whatever the backdrop, this one has everything: two heavyweights, a famous stadium and a lot at stake. Sunday should be a fierce contest.
