On Sunday, Manchester City renew one of the premier Premier League rivalries of recent years when they face off with Liverpool as both clubs seek to chase down leaders Arsenal in what is increasingly looking like a fascinating title race.
In the splashy and spendy era, City and Liverpool have scrambled for top-dog status several times over the last decade, but this time around they are tasked with hunting down rather than defending first place, giving an added sense of urgency to their Etihad meeting.
Current Form and Team Outlook
Manchester City have not been at any better as they hammered Borussia Dortmund 4-1 in the UEFA Champions League during the week, and it was their sixth win from seven games. Pep Guardiola’s men have remained dominant on home soil, following up their 3-1 win over Bournemouth with a ninth victory in ten Premier League fixtures at the Etihad. That air of champions-elect is back, not least as they’ve now won 10 of their past 12 league matches against the reigning champions.
On the other hand, Liverpool seem to be back on track after a difficult period in which they suffered five consecutive domestic defeats. Not only do the two clean sheet victories, one against Aston Villa and the other against Real Madrid, point to the fact that Arne Slot’s tactical ideas are really gaining traction, but also the concern regarding their away performance still exists. The Reds have been defeated in their last three road matches in the Premier League and they will do everything they can to avoid a fourth-such defeat, which would be their first since 2012.
Head-to-Head and Key Battles
Liverpool were victorious in both league meetings last season but City have tended to have the upper hand in this fixture at home, not losing in ten of the twelve previous meetings at the Etihad. Erling Haaland, the player who has netted in nine consecutive home matches (19 goals in total), continues to be the most potent threat for City. The Reds will count on the creativity of Dominik Szoboszlai, who has a great record when it comes to scoring, as their main attacking conduit.
Prediction
Even though Liverpool are not in good form, their quality can still compete; however, the home grown dominance as well as the recent scoring form of City increase their chances. It is most likely that the match would end with a City victory and over 2.5 goals scored in an intense encounter of a high standard.
