The two best teams in England clash in a colossal affair at Anfield this afternoon. Will the result decide where the Premier League title resides come May?
Leaders Liverpool host Manchester City on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports, in one of the biggest Premier League clashes in recent memory. Anfield will be a cauldron of noise and anticipation, their fans longing to put a hand and four fingers on the trophy they've been without for nearly 30 years.
If Jurgen Klopp's side win, they will open up a nine-point gap over City and will be eight clear of Leicester and Chelsea, who moved up to second and third respectively on Saturday. It would be the psychological victory they missed last term, when City beat them to the title by a single point. It would be theirs to win.
If Pep Guardiola's champions win, the gap is down to three, from eight just over three weeks ago. It's the epitome of a six-pointer. As Liverpool know, there is a fragility to top spot, but City's current defensive vulnerabilities suggest this is a must-not-lose in Guardiola's quest for three straight titles, a feat only achieved by Manchester United in the Premier League era.
Recent clashes have been eventful and pivotal; the 0-0 draw last October at Anfield saw Riyad Mahrez sky a late penalty, but the early January meeting at the Etihad was a Premier League epic.
City won 2-1, but that told barely half the story. An 11mm John Stones clearance - we'll be lucky to see a more bizarre passage of play on Sunday - and a controversial yellow card for Vincent Kompany after a lunge on Mohamed Salah mean Liverpool have unfinished business. The result was even bigger than it seemed at the time.
City lost one and won 16 of their next 17 to lift the title. Liverpool drew four of their next eight, but have been unbeaten since.
Straddling this season and last, that 28-game unbeaten run nearly ended on Saturday at Aston Villa, but Liverpool's late, late show is becoming a big-screen classic. In the last six weeks against Sheffield United, Leicester, Manchester United, Tottenham and Villa, Liverpool have scored a league-high six goals after the 70th minute, yielding 10 points. Late drama won't be a surprise to the Anfield crowd this afternoon.
City did similar against Southampton, where more than one ear would have been on the events at Villa Park. No advantage was made, making this afternoon even bigger.
The build-up has been huge, and prompted by Guardiola just minutes after that win over Saints. Sadio Mane, Liverpool's best performer among the wealth of contenders, likes a dive, said Pep. Klopp defended Mane, aiming a subtle dig about City's tactical fouling. Pep then took his words back before heaping praise on his opposition.
"They're exceptional, the stadium, the history speaks for itself, the quality of the team and what they do, the quality, I believe more in that. Right now it's one of the toughest ones, the toughest in Europe," he said in his pre-match press conference.
Mind games? We'd be naive to think otherwise, given these two managers' meticulous approach to every second of their day.
Come 4pm at Anfield, with Klopp's habit of staring down the opposition during the pre-match warm-up, those games won't have stopped. The team selections are key, particularly for a City side without David Silva and concerns in defence compounded by the absence of Ederson. And will it be Jesus or Sergio Aguero? That headache every manager would like.
For Pep, a man so awash with nerves he does not eat before a game, it's food for thought.
So, is this the title decider? No. But there is little doubt come May, this fixture will be seen as the epicentre of Liverpool's title win or City's fightback.