Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described meeting Liverpool in his 1,000th game as a manager as "the destiny of the universe" after their shared domination of English football in recent years.

The past eight Premier League titles have gone to the two superpowers, with City claiming the crown six times in that period, including a historic sequence of four in a row.

City and Liverpool meet at Etihad Stadium on Sunday (16:30 GMT) with the possibility that their Premier League destiny this season will be heavily shaped by the outcome.

To add a twist to the tale, these two long-time Premier League pace-setters now form part of a chasing pack.

Arsenal have had their noses pressed against the window in the face of City and Liverpool's superiority in recent years but, for now at least, the Gunners are the hunted rather than the hunters.

Mikel Arteta's league leaders could have been nine points clear of Pep Guardiola's side and 10 ahead of Liverpool had they not dropped two late points at Sunderland on Saturday night, Brian Brobbey's stoppage-time equaliser giving the Black Cats a 2-2 draw.

Title margins in most recent seasons have been so fine that had Arsenal won, the losing team on Sunday, if there is one, may have been left to reflect that the race was starting to get away from them, even after only 11 games.

Now, the door is ajar.

Arsenal's advantage was starting to look highly significant until the 94th minute at Sunderland, because anything more than a 10-point lead in the Premier League has only been lost three times.

It would have been too early to dismiss teams of the quality of Manchester City and Liverpool, especially as both are showing signs of returning to their formidable best after stumbles earlier this season.

Now, if anything, Arsenal's late concession at the Stadium of Light has upped the ante even further before this latest meeting between City and Liverpool.

In Liverpool, Guardiola has the one opponent he has found it difficult to master - first under Jurgen Klopp and then Arne Slot, whose title winners did the double over him last season.

Guardiola has managed City in 18 Premier League games against Liverpool, winning only five, drawing seven and losing six. In all competitions he has played 24, won six, drawn eight and lost 10.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss knows what is riding on the latest confrontation, with Arsenal's excellence adding to the pressure.

Guardiola reflected on the chase that City face, saying: "Always you expect that you can be better and they will drop points. All we can do is win our games and get closer."

Guardiola knew Arsenal were building a team capable of chasing a championship. He is waiting to see whether they have the stamina to keep up their fast start.

"The last two or three years, after the process to rebuild the club and the team, Arsenal are there. It is exceptional what they are doing for two or three seasons," Guardiola said.

"But it is early November. Nobody wins the title in early November. You can lose it - but nobody wins it.

"I know how quickly things change. One week ago it was Liverpool 'disaster, disaster' and now they win two and it's 'are they back to their best?'

"I'm sure the managers take a little bit more perspective of the situation.

"Always in a season there are ups and down."

Liverpool head coach Slot is equally convinced there can be twists and turns in the title race, but the significance of this game cannot be escaped or underestimated.

Slot said: "At the moment, it's not about looking at the league table. It's just trying to win as many games as you can and give yourself the best position you can.

"But definitely two very good teams are going to play against each other and what the future will bring, we will see.

"Our only focus is ourselves. We have to get consistent improvement, get players fit and then see where it leads to.

"City is a game on its own. Playing away from home against them is one of the most difficult challenges we have throughout the season. These are the games everyone looks forward to."

Slot's return to his title-winning midfield of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai has given Liverpool a more familiar, winning look in their past two games against Aston Villa and Real Madrid, with Hungarian Szoboszlai a key figure.

"Dominik has been outstanding throughout the season," said Slot, "but the last two games brought even more out of the team and him. I really like his work without the ball, but in these games it was probably even above his own high standards."

If Liverpool can win the midfield battle at Etihad Stadium, they will believe they can flourish - but an improving Manchester City will feel equally confident.

The stage is set for the latest titanic battle.

Erling Haaland scored his 27th goal of the season for club and country in City's 4-1 win against his former club Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday.

It has been a remarkable run of form, even by the standards of arguably the most deadly striker in world football.

The irresistible force meets the immovable object when Haaland comes up against Virgil van Dijk on Sunday. This is the personal duel that will go a long way to deciding the destiny of the points.

Norwegian Haaland will be determined to finally end his uncharacteristically indifferent record against Liverpool's Dutch captain.

Since joining City in July 2022, Haaland has started five games against Van Dijk and is still seeking his first win, with three defeats and two draws. The Norwegian's only victory against Liverpool came in the League Cup fourth round in December 2022, when he scored in a 3-2 triumph, but Van Dijk did not play.

Former Liverpool and England defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Sport: "If you look for key areas where the game will be won and lost, from Liverpool's point of view it will be stopping Haaland, but the key to that will all come from the midfield area, and stopping the balls through to him.

"It will be about whether Liverpool's midfield can press City as hard as they did Aston Villa and Real Madrid."

Warnock added: "Much of any battle between Van Dijk and Haaland will depend on the service Haaland gets, and then it will be between Van Dijk and [Ibrahima] Konate to stop him. It is up to Haaland who his main opponent will be, anyway. If he plays on Konate then there is nothing Van Dijk can do, and vice versa.

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"The main thing Liverpool have to do is try to stop the passes at source and prevent the balls being played into him. It will be down to Liverpool's midfielders to prevent City's creative players picking their heads up, like Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki were doing against Bournemouth last weekend, and playing those passes."

Former England striker Chris Sutton believes personal pride will also fuel the confrontation between Haaland and Van Dijk.

"It will be fascinating," says Sutton. "Van Dijk will have that kind of pride where he will be determined to get the better of Haaland, because Liverpool's backline has come in for a lot of criticism.

"Of course, Liverpool are capable of keeping Haaland quiet - they just did the same to a Real Madrid frontline including Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior - but I would take Haaland over any of their attackers at the moment, so this is the ultimate test for Van Dijk."