Premier League leaders Liverpool travel to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 23rd February to take on defending champions Manchester City, with the Reds looking to complete a league double over the Citizens for the first time since the 2015/2016 season.
Liverpool claimed a 2-0 victory over Pep Guardiola’s men when the sides last met last December, with goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah giving Arne Slot’s side a memorable win at Anfield.
The Reds will fancy repeating that feat and securing another win, but judging by the odds from top football betting sites, doing so away at City will be far from easy.
City still expect to win every time they step onto the pitch, despite their uncharacteristic recent form that has seen them slip into fourth place, fully 17 points behind the league leaders, albeit with a game in hand. Liverpool, meanwhile, are having an excellent campaign and are still competing in three competitions.
Given City’s midweek Champions league exit at Real madrid, many fans, pundits and bettors are confidently backing Liverpool, but there’s no such thing as a banker, and everyone knows that a wounded animal is a very dangerous one.
Who will come out on top in this blockbuster showdown between the league leaders and the defending champions? Let’s assess both teams before getting into our prediction.
Manchester City vs Liverpool Preview
Manchester City
You simply cannot talk about Manchester City’s troubled season without mentioning the injured Rodri, who has been conspicuous by his absence since sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in September’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal.
To say that the Citizens have missed their talismanic 2024 Ballon d’Or winner is an understatement, but as true as that may be, they should still have too much quality to be struggling to get into the top four after 25 matches.
Even without their influential Spanish midfielder, Guardiola has a galaxy of stars at his disposal with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland, while Omar Marmoush's hat-trick in Saturday's 4-0 demolition of Newcastle has given Pep extra options up front. This is a squad of serial winners and it should only be a matter of time before they click back into form again.
Victory over Liverpool would not only provide a significant morale-booster but it will also serve as a powerful statement, reminding everyone that City should never be underestimated and are still among the league’s elite, regardless of their current standing.
Liverpool
Seeking their first Premier League triumph since the Covid-affected 2019/20 campaign, Liverpool will be determined to end their five-year wait for further Premier League glory. The Reds have been excellent under their new Dutch manager, sitting atop the Premier League and Champions League table, with their recent shock FA Cup defeat at Championship side Plymouth Argyle the only serious blot on their copybook.
Slot’s side are, at the time of writing, on a 22-game unbeaten run in England’s topflight, including 15 wins, with their only serious setback coming in September’s unexpected 1-0 home defeat at the hands of this season’s surprise package Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool have been superb on their travels with nine wins and five draws from 14 matches, and no team has scored more than their 36 away goals in the league this season. With that in mind, Slot’s side will be confident of getting a positive result at the Etihad.
Mohamed Salah has been in sparkling form all season for the Reds, bagging 24 Premier League goals and 15 assists, meaning he has been directly involved in 63% of his side's goals. The Egyptian will be key to Liverpool’s chances of victory at City, and he boasts an impressive return of 12 goals and seven assists against Guardiola’s side.
Prediction: Draw
Liverpool have undoubtedly been the better team this season, a point illustrated by September’s 2-0 win, but a match at the Etihad Stadium, where the Reds haven’t won a league game since handing their hosts a 4-1 drubbing there in 2015, will prove to be a tough assignment.
Despite City’s struggles, they’ll be fired up in front of their own fans, and Liverpool may have to settle for a point. Both teams will have their moments, but the draw looks a likely outcome that would probably please both camps.