Manchester City vs Liverpool Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Manchester City will host Liverpool in the Premier League this weekend, looking to extend their lead at the top of the table.

Liverpool are just one point adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City in second place, and they will look to climb to the top of the table with the win away from home. Both teams are capable of grinding out a result here, and this is likely to be a fierce contest.

Liverpool have done well against Manchester City recently and are unbeaten in four of their last six meetings against the defending champions. This is likely to be an evenly-matched contest on current form, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.

Team News & Tactics

Manchester City

The Premier League champions will be without the services of Kevin De Bruyne, who is sidelined until the end of the year with a thigh injury. Mateo Kovacic will miss out with a thigh injury as well, and he is expected to return to action early next month. John Stones and Matheus Nunes remain long-term absentees.

Manchester City will likely shape up in their usual 3-4-2-1 formation, with Ederson Moraes, who missed Brazil’s international games due to a foot injury, in goal. Kyle Walker will start in the back three alongside Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.

Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku will be deployed as makeshift wing-backs, and the two players will look to create attacking opportunities going forward. Rodri should start in the centre of the midfield and he will look to protect the central defence. Manuel Akanji will add more defensive steel and protection for the central defenders alongside him.

Julian Alvarez and Bernardo Silva will be starting as the attacking midfielders here, and the two players are likely to drift into the wide areas from time to time. Finally, Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City against Liverpool.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Ederson; Walker, Dias, Gvardiol; Foden, Rodri, Akanji, Doku; Alvarez, Silva; Haaland

Liverpool

Thiago Alcantara remains sidelined with his groin injury, and he is expected to return towards the end of January. Similarly, Andrew Robertson is sidelined following his shoulder surgery. Stefan Bajcetic is still recovering from his calf injury, and he is likely to miss out as well.

Liverpool will start in their usual 4-3-3 formation, with Alisson Becker in goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kostas Tsimikas will start as the full-backs. The two players will look to help out defensively and create goalscoring opportunities going forward. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate will start alongside Virgil Van Dijk in the heart of the Liverpool defence.

Alexis Mac Allister will reprise his role as the defensive midfielder and look to protect the defence and break up opposition attacks. Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch will add creativity and control to the side.

Finally, Darwin Nunez will lead the line for Liverpool here, with Mohamed Salah on his right and Luis Diaz on the left. So, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo will find themselves on the bench, hoping to make their mark later in the game.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Diaz

Key Stats

• Liverpool are undefeated in 22 of their last 23 matches in the Premier League.
• 24 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
• Liverpool are unbeaten in four of their last six matches against Manchester City.
• Manchester City are unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches.

Player to Watch

Erling Haaland

The Norwegian striker has 13 goals and three assists to his name in 12 Premier League games this season, and he has found the back of the net on a consistent basis since moving to England. He will look to take advantage of liverpool’s defensive vulnerabilities, especially in the absence of Andrew Robertson.

The 23-year-old should have recovered sufficiently from the knock he sustained during the international break to be available for the biggest match of the season so far. And Manchester City will depend on him to find a way past the Liverpool defence and find the back of the net.

Prediction

Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool

This is likely to be a close contest, and both teams will be desperate for all three points here. However, Manchester City are a formidable side at home, meaning Liverpool will find it difficult to beat them here.

This is likely to be a high-scoring affair with both teams getting on the scoresheet. But Manchester City have tremendous quality in the final third, and they should be able to edge this one. The lack of a specialist defensive midfielder will cost Liverpool against a technically gifted Manchester City attack.