Liverpool vs Manchester City predictions: Citizens no match for runaway leaders
- Liverpool have won 14 of their last 15 games in all competitions
- Manchester City have lost five of their previous six
- Recommended bet: Liverpool -1 handicap
Manchester City’s title hopes are on the line when they visit Anfield on Sunday. Liverpool have raced into an eight-point lead over the champions, so a defeat would likely leave Pep Guardiola's side too far off the pace.
While that setup lends itself to a bounce-back display from City’s experienced stars, it is tough to see them keeping this close based on their current form.
Team news
Liverpool remain without Alisson Becker, while Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate are set to miss out in defence. However, their backline is set to be boosted by the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Manchester City head to Merseyside without John Stones, but Kevin De Bruyne should feature for longer than he managed in last weekend’s loss to Tottenham.
The stats
Arne Slot has won nine of his 10 games at Anfield as Liverpool boss, with seven of those victories coming by two clear goals.
Pep Guardiola has won just one of his nine visits to Anfield — that sole success coming behind closed doors in February 2021.
City have lost each of their last four away games.
The Citizens have also won just one of four clashes with the league’s top six, losing twice.
Liverpool have four wins from five at home to top-half opponents this season.
CIty have conceded 17 goals across their last six matches.
Prediction
Manchester City’s poor run has them in an unfamiliar position, as they are the underdogs in a Premier League game for the first time since April 2017.
The visitors crumbled when 3-0 up to Feyenoord in midweek, leaving them winless in six. City have conceded 17 goals in that time, including four in last weekend’s demolition by Tottenham.
Now City face what is likely their biggest test of the campaign to date, while they will do so with question marks still surrounding their leaky defence.
Liverpool head into the game having won 14 of their last 15 matches, while they have triumphed in nine of 10 games under Arne Slot at Anfield. Of those nine victories, seven have come by two clear goals, including their midweek success against European champions Real Madrid.
Even when they were at the height of their powers, Guardiola’s City struggled at Anfield. He has won just once in nine visits with the Sky Blues, with that victory coming in a behind-closed-doors game in February 2021.
Now the Citizens depart for Merseyside following four consecutive away defeats. They meet a Liverpool side who hold the league’s best defensive record and the hosts have outscored City 24 to 22 across the campaign.
Given how the champions are struggling, this could be another heavy defeat. Liverpool deserve to head into the game as favourites, but if City crumble defensively as they have done in their previous two fixturess, then the Reds should comfortably clear a -1 handicap.
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