Liverpool will host Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday, with both sides desperate to secure three points to achieve their objectives in the Premier League.
Liverpool are coming into this game vs Manchester City on the back of four wins from their last six matches, and they have scored ten goals in their last two outings. The home side will look to pick up a win over City at home and boost their confidence.
The last time these two sides met, Liverpool were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City. The Reds will look to avenge that defeat here. Meanwhile, Manchester City have picked up just one win from the last six Premier League matches, and they cannot afford to keep dropping points if they want to win the Premier League title.
This is a must-win game for the away side, and it will be interesting to see if they can step up and deliver. Liverpool will certainly look to dent the visitors’ title hopes with a strong home performance. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Liverpool
The home team will be without Joe Gomez (hip), Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring), Giovanni Leoni (knee), Conor Bradley (knee), and Alexander Isak (fracture). Liverpool are likely to start in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Manchester City, with Alisson Becker in goal.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk will form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Gravenberch will start alongside Curtis Jones in the double pivot, aiming to add control and composure to the team. Alexis Mac Allister will look to create opportunities for teammates in the final third.
Finally, Hugo Ekitike will spearhead the Liverpool attack vs Manchester City, with Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah on either side of him. So, Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa will be among the backup options on the bench for the home side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Mac Allister, Wirtz; Ekitike
Manchester City
John Stones (thigh), Mateo Kovacic (ankle), Jeremy Doku (calf), and Josko Gvardiol (calf) are ruled out for the away side. Manchester City will shape up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation vs Liverpool, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal.
Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly will start as the full-backs. They will keep things tight at the back and help out in the final third. Meanwhile, Ruben Dias and Marc Guehi will form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Rodri will start in the middle of the park, looking to control the tempo and provide defensive cover, with Tijjani Reijnders adding drive and creativity alongside him.
Bernardo Silva will add creativity from the attacking midfield role. Phil Foden and Antoine Semenyo will add flair and goals from the flanks, with Erling Haaland leading the line for Manchester City vs Liverpool on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, O’Reilly; Reijnders, Rodri; Foden, Silva, Semenyo; Haaland
Key Stats
- Liverpool are undefeated in 26 of their last 27 home matches against Manchester City in all competitions.
- Manchester City are undefeated in 11 of their last 12 matches in the Premier League.
- Both Liverpool and Manchester City have picked up just one win from the last six Premier League matches. 16 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Only Liverpool (9) and Manchester United (7) have won more away games against reigning Premier League champions than Manchester City (6), with the Citizens winning five of their last six visits (L1).
- Since the start of last season, only three teams have picked up more points from losing positions in the Premier League than Liverpool (28), while only Brighton & Hove Albion (42) have scored more goals in games where they have conceded the first goal than the Reds (41), who won 4-1 on Gameweek 24 after going 1-0 down to Newcastle.
Player to Watch
Hugo Ekitike
The French international is in outstanding form, and he has adapted to the Premier League really well. Ekitike is currently the top scorer at Liverpool, and he will look to make his mark here. Manchester City have looked vulnerable at times, defensively, and Ekitike could cause all sorts of problems for them.
The Frenchman has scored or assisted every 112 minutes in the Premier League this season (10 goals, 2 assists in 1,342 minutes), the best ratio by a Liverpool player in their first season at the club since Mohamed Salah in 2017/18 (32 goals, 10 assists – one every 70 minutes).
Ekitike will look to link up with his teammates and create opportunities in the final third. He will also look to add to his goal tally for the season. Liverpool will need him to step up and produce in the final third if they want all three points.
Prediction
Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City
Both teams will be fighting for all three points, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. Neither side is defensive in their approach, and there will be plenty of opportunities. A high-scoring game is on the cards here.
Matches between these two teams are often packed with goals, and this one is unlikely to be any different. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet, but they will end up cancelling each other and share the spoils.
