It’s game day seven in the English Premier League this weekend - and it’s serving up yet another slobberknocker, as the league leaders Liverpool host reigning champions Manchester City.Â
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The Citizens are hot on the heels of the Reds, following their impressive road win against Thomas Tuchel’s hotly favored Chelsea outfit. Liverpool have quietly cruised along under the radar to top the table, and remain the only undefeated team in the league. However, Jurgen Klopp’s men did drop points last week, as they tied 3-3 in a thrilling encounter with newly-promoted Brentford - in a match that was most certainly the game of the season thus far!
Below, you can check out everything you need to know regarding the Liverpool vs Manchester City match at Anfield - including kick-off time, where to watch, possible line-ups, betting lines, spreads, and more!
Liverpool vs Manchester City - A Look at the Teams
After last week’s road win over Chelsea and a trip to Paris, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City face another tough test on the road as they face direct title rivals in the form of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at Anfield. We’ve taken a look at either teams’ form and chances below, in order to help with your predictions and betting picks.Â
Liverpool
Following a summer where Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all made multi-million dollar marquee signings. Liverpool made a handful of squad signings, but nothing of headline-grabbing significance. This lack of a blockbuster incoming, twinned with concerns over their aging squad is what perhaps lead to them slipping under the sports media radar during the preseason.Â
However, Liverpool have made a stellar start to the season, and remain the only undefeated team after six league games. Virgil van Dijk has re-stabilized the defense after returning from a long-term injury, and Mohamed Salah is showing no signs of slowing down at the age of 29.Â
That being said, their failure to break down a ten-man Chelsea in their 1-1 home tie and last week’s 3-3 open game against Brentford has perhaps shown signs that Klopp’s Reds haven’t quite returned to their bulldozing best following last seasons injury-plagued disappointment.Â
Still, their 1-5 road win against Portuguese Primeira Liga side Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday should see them return home with confidence. And given that the buoyant Anfield fan base is now back in full voice following the Covid-19 shutout last season, you can never write the Reds off in such a box office match!
Manchester City
The reigning champions started this season off slowly, losing to Tottenham Hotspur on the road in the opening game of the season. This, combined with a 0-0 home tie against Southampton two weeks ago, astoundingly lead some fans and pundits to question coach Pep Guardiola’s tactical approach - and their lack of a number 9 following their failure to sign Harry Kane.Â
However, Pep quickly silenced his critics last week, with a tactical masterclass that saw his Manchester City side see out a 0-1 road victory against a much-fancied Chelsea side - against whom they had lost on the previous three occasions. They failed to take that road form into the Champions League though, and suffered a 2-0 defeat in Paris, with the second goal coming from none other than Lionel Messi.Â
Facing a third trip away from Machester in just eight days against world-class opposition might put Manchester City at a slight disadvantage. That being said, if there’s one squad that’s deep enough and up to the task, it’s Manchester City’s.Â
Potential line-ups and injuriesÂ
The big miss for Liverpool will be their overlapping right-back and hometown boy Trent Alexander-Arnold. He picked up a groin injury in training and didn’t travel with the Liverpool squad to Portugal for the game against Porto on Tuesday. We can therefore expect to see Joe Gomez or James Milner fill the gap here. Liverpool will, undoubtedly, miss TAA’s attacking threat and on-point delivery into the box.Â
Liverpool will be without their right-back Trent Alexander Arnold.
Manchester City have had injury problems since the start of the season, however, the situation is now getting better, rather than worse. Phil Foden and Kevin de Bruyne returned to the midfield last week, while Aymeric Laporte and Rodri both made surprise returns against Chelsea on Saturday. German midfielder Ilky Gundogan is still missing and will be sorely missed this weekend given his big-game record.
Our Liverpool vs Manchester City Predictions
Liverpool and Manchester City both carry an attacking threat and, on their day, are capable of blowing teams out of the water. Liverpool are the highest-scoring team so far this season with 15 goals in six games, while Manchester City have won 5-0 on two occasions already.Â
That being said this Sunday’s game will probably be a more tactical and low-scoring affair. Even at this early stage of the season, there is so much riding on the potential title outcome that games tend to be cagey when the top sides face each other - just as we saw last weekend with Manchester City’s road win over Chelsea.Â
Manchester City might have blown Liverpool away 1-4 last time they visited Anfield in February, but the circumstances were very different back then. The UK was in the worst grip of the pandemic, Anfield was empty and Liverpool were in an unprecedented state of mid-season capitulation.Â
If you fancy placing a wager on the game this weekend, we’d back a draw or a slender home win, with Mohamed Salah to score anytime. Whatever you back, add both teams to score to add value to your wager. You find out the best odds for Liverpool vs Manchester City in the US and where to find them below.Â
Liverpool vs Manchester City - Odds and betting lines
Manchester City go into this game as road favorites with the majority of US sportsbooks, at odds of +140. Liverpool are being offered at +180, with a draw coming in at +260 - very tempting given that there’s very little separating these teams in terms of quality. If you’re looking for the best place to bet on Liverpool vs Manchester City, then head on over to BetMGM, who are offering the best odds, as well as a mouthwatering welcome bonus. Sign up to today and you can grab a risk-free bet worth up to $600!
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