Enzo Maresca has spent the opening weeks of the season piecing together a jigsaw with several missing pieces. This Sunday at Anfield, he might finally see the whole picture.
Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo on the flanks, Rayan Cherki in the hole, Erling Haaland leading the line. That is the attacking quartet Maresca would pick if everyone were available. So far this season, he has not had the option.
Doku sat out the first six matches of the 2026-27 campaign with a calf problem. His return came as a late substitute in the 5-3 win over Sunderland, a brief but welcome sight for a side that has lacked his directness. Semenyo, meanwhile, pulled out of Ghana's squad for the extended international break with a swollen ankle, and Haaland was given a few days' rest after complaining of fatigue. Cherki, at least, got plenty of minutes — four appearances for France, though not necessarily the kind of rest Maresca might have wanted.
For a manager who builds his attack around creating one-on-one situations for his wingers, having both wide men available is no small detail. Doku and Semenyo offer different problems: one twists and turns, the other drives and delivers. Cherki's presence between the lines gives Haaland a partner in crime rather than a lone furrow to plough.
Liverpool's last outing, a 1-0 win over Bournemouth, saw Milos Kerkez at left-back and Ronald Araujo at right-back. Neither is a slouch, but they are not immune to being isolated. If Maresca's front four are fit and firing, that is exactly the kind of matchup he will fancy.
Whether all four start at Anfield remains to be seen. Doku's minutes are being managed, Semenyo's ankle is a lingering concern, and Haaland's workload is always under scrutiny. But for the first time this season, the option is there. City have been effective without their first-choice attack. With it, they might be something else entirely.