Manchester City vs Liverpool: Preview, Team News & Predictions
Manchester City and Liverpool’s feisty rivalry – marked with footballing supremacy and undeniable quality across all ends of the pitch – will open a new chapter on Saturday, when the two teams rub shoulders at the Etihad stadium.
A two-week intermission couldn’t have ended in a better way, with a tight match-up at the top of the Premier League table kicking off a frenetic period of fixtures that are to come before the year draws to an end.
An injury-stricken Man City were drawn 4-4 by Chelsea in arguably the game of the season. And although the match was worth every penny of the fans’ investments, perfectionist Pep Guardiola must’ve been scratching his head over the last couple of weeks, scheming against the Reds and discovering solutions to their defensive exposures.
He’ll have to start with a Liverpool side looking to better its record of one win in 14 PL visits to the Etihad. Jurgen Klopp loathes the 12:30 kick off following an international break, but even he would admit he’s had better face-offs in this slot over the past few breaks.
It promises to be an entertaining affair between two teams destined to outperform their European and domestic counterparts. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the mouth-watering contest.
Team News
Manchester City
Guardiola happens to be the unluckier manager out of the two, despite having fewer South American players who’ve endured a short turnaround from international duty.
Erling Haaland’s availability will be the biggest talking point prior to the game, as he’s currently in a race against time after having missed Norway’s final Euro 2024 qualifying match due to an ankle strain.
Man City are also sweating out the fitness of John Stones and Mateo Kovacic, while Nathan Ake, Sergio Gomez and Kevin de Bruyne are expected to be out for the foreseeable future.
Summer signing Matheus Nunes is a curious case, as he was declared unfit by Portugal during their qualifiers.
“The midfielder is unfit for Portugal’s two games. Matheus Nunes was declared clinically unfit for the National Team’s two games against Liechtenstein and Iceland, after undergoing tests,” the Portugal FA announced.
And finally, Ederson is another player to have withdrawn from his respective squad, owing to a foot problem.
Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp’s press conference should reveal more details on the likes of Joe Gomez and Ryan Gravenberch. The former missed Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Brentford on the back of a late injury call.
Klopp will have to decide on Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz – both of whom found the net during the break. Cody Gakpo’s availability provides some cushion, whereas Thiago Alcantara and Andrew Robertson remain confined to the sidelines.
Predicted XI
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ortega; Walker, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Foden; Doku, Haaland, Grealish
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Jota
Match Prediction
Trying to dissect the differences between Man City and Liverpool is a cruel task. Such is the quality both teams possess. While City look for control, the visitors will have their afterburners on looking for any chance to turn things into a track meet.
Discipline is something both managers will demand, even though they’ll want brave attempts to win from their men.
City have the home advantage, and they usually are unstoppable at the Etihad. We expect Liverpool to come hard at them but fall just short.
Predicted score: Manchester City 3-2 Liverpool
-Roy Akarshak
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Дмитрий Голубович. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.