Manchester City will host Liverpool at the Etihad on Sunday, looking to dent the away team’s title hopes and keep their top-four bid alive.
Manchester City crashed out of the UEFA Champions League earlier this week, and they have a very little chance of winning the Premier League title as they get set for the game vs Liverpool at the Etihad on Sunday. The Citizens will look to finish the season strongly and make it difficult for the likes of Liverpool to win a major trophy this season.
Meanwhile, Liverpool will look to get their season back on track with a victory on Sunday. The Reds have dropped points in two of their last three Premier League matches, and they simply cannot afford to falter here if they want to maintain a reasonable gap with Arsenal in the title race.
The Gunners are already breathing down their necks, and they will look to take advantage of any slip-ups from Liverpool this weekend. Both Liverpool and Manchester City are under pressure to win for very different reasons, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Manchester City will be without Rodri due to his long-term knee injury. Manuel Akanji has a knock. Manchester City will shape up in a 4-1-4-1 formation vs Liverpool, with Ederson Moraes in goal.
Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol will start as the full-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Ruben Dias will form the central defensive partnership alongside John Stones.
As for the midfield unit, llkay Gundogan will add defensive cover and composure to the side from the deep. Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva will be deployed as the advanced midfielders, and they will look to create goalscoring opportunities for their teammates.
Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden will start in the wide areas, and they will add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Erling Haaland will spearhead the Manchester City attack vs Liverpool at the Etihad on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Ederson; Lewis, Dias, Stones, Gvardiol; Gundogan; Foden, De Bruyne, Silva, Doku; Haaland
Liverpool
Joe Gomez is ruled out with a hamstring injury, while Cody Gakpo is recovering from his knock. Conor Bradley picked up an injury against Aston Villa, and he will miss out against Manchester City this weekend.
Liverpool are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Manchester City, with Alisson Becker in goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson will start as the full-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Ibrahima Konate will start alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch will add defensive cover and control to the side. Meanwhile, Dominik Szoboszlai will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.
Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz will add creativity and goals from the wide areas, with Diogo Jota leading the line for Liverpool vs Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Jota
Key Stats
- Liverpool are undefeated in their last 22 matches in the Premier League.
- Liverpool have scored at least two goals in their last six matches in the Premier League.
- 17 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides.
- Manchester City and Liverpool have won two each out of the last six meetings between the two sides.
- Mohamed Salah’s opener at Villa Park on Wednesday was his 15th away league goal this season, the most by a Liverpool player since Gordon Hodgson netted 15 on the road in 1930/31. Salah has 15 assists in the Premier League this season, equalling the Liverpool record set by Steve McManaman in 1995/96 and five short of the overall record of 20, registered by Thierry Henry in 2002/03 and Kevin de Bruyne in 2019/20.
Player to Watch
Kevin De Bruyne
The Manchester City playmaker is our key player to watch out for. Liverpool have looked quite vulnerable defensively in recent weeks, and they have conceded in each of their last four outings. The Belgian playmaker will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates here and open up the Liverpool defence.
De Bruyne has the vision, technique and intelligence to take advantage of Liverpool’s defensive vulnerabilities, and he will look to influence the game in the final third. Manchester City will depend on him to make a defining impact this week.
Prediction
Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool
Both teams are quite evenly matched on current form, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. Manchester City and Liverpool have not been at their best in the recent outings, and it will be difficult to separate the two teams.
Matches between these two sides are often packed with goals, and this one is unlikely to be any different. Both teams will look to outscore each other and they are likely to get on the score sheet.
However, Manchester City can be formidable at home, and Liverpool have looked quite vulnerable at the back in recent weeks. The home side have enough quality in the attack to grind out a narrow win here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges.
