Liverpool and Manchester City have spent the best part of a decade producing some of the Premier League’s biggest matches, although Sunday’s meeting at Anfield comes with a rather different feel.
For the first time since March 2015, neither Jürgen Klopp nor Pep Guardiola will be in the dugout for a league meeting between these two.
Instead, it’s Andoni Iraola against Enzo Maresca, with both managers looking to protect unbeaten starts to the campaign.
City have been pretty much faultless so far.
Five matches, five victories and a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League. They’ve also beaten Manchester United away from home and scored five against Sunderland.
Liverpool haven’t lost either, although three draws from their opening five league games have left them six points behind Sunday’s visitors.
The Reds have shown signs of improvement under Iraola, particularly with recent victories over Bournemouth and Tottenham. However, this looks their toughest test yet.
City also completed the league double over Liverpool last season, including a 2-1 victory at Anfield.
There’s plenty at stake, then, and with both teams protecting unbeaten records, Sunday should be interesting.
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What are the best betting tips for Liverpool vs Manchester City?
Manchester City to win
It’s difficult to look beyond City’s start to the season.
Maresca’s side have won all five Premier League matches, and they’ve looked increasingly comfortable against some difficult opponents.
Their 1-0 victory at Old Trafford was particularly impressive, while a 5-3 win over Sunderland demonstrated just how dangerous they can be going forward.
Liverpool have improved under Iraola, but they’ve also dropped points in matches they would have expected to win.
Home draws against Nottingham Forest and Ipswich have been particularly frustrating.
There’s also the injury situation to consider.
Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo both returned early from international duty, while Hugo Ekitiké is another attacking player sidelined.
That’s hardly ideal preparation for facing the league leaders.
Over 2.5 total goals
There’s a decent argument for this being a more open contest than Liverpool would ideally like.
City scored five against Sunderland before the international break, although conceding three themselves suggests they’re not completely immune to defensive problems.
Liverpool have also shown they can create chances against stronger opposition.
They scored three against Tottenham in the League Cup and twice against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League.
The concern for Iraola will be whether his side can keep City quiet for 90 minutes.
Maresca’s team have plenty of attacking quality, even with doubts surrounding Erling Haaland’s fitness.
However, Liverpool have the home advantage, and I can’t see them spending the entire afternoon sitting behind the ball.
Both managers prefer their teams to play with intensity, which could leave space for attackers to exploit.
If we get an early goal, this could become a very entertaining afternoon.
I’m leaning towards at least three goals.
Erling Haaland to score anytime
There’s an obvious fitness concern here, so this selection depends on Haaland being declared fit to start.
The Norwegian limped out of his country’s defeat to Portugal during the international break, leaving City waiting on an update ahead of Sunday’s trip.
However, if he’s available, it’s difficult to ignore his goalscoring record this season.
Haaland has already scored five goals in five Premier League appearances, with an expected goals figure of 4.43.
Those numbers suggest he’s getting into dangerous positions regularly rather than relying on the occasional spectacular finish.
Liverpool have kept things relatively tight defensively, but City’s attacking movement should give their back line plenty to think about.
Haaland doesn’t need many opportunities to punish a defence, either.
One decent delivery into the box could be enough.
His fitness will need checking before placing anything, but if he starts, the anytime goalscorer market looks worth considering.
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Where can I watch Liverpool vs Manchester City?
Liverpool vs Manchester City kicks off at 4:30pm BST on Sunday, October 11, at Anfield.
In the UK, the match will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. Supporters can also stream the action through Sky Go and NOW.
What is Liverpool’s predicted team?
(4-2-3-1): Alisson; Araújo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Victor Muñoz, Wirtz, Barcola; Isak.
Injured: Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitiké, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni.
Doubts: Jérémy Jacquet, Alexander Isak, Federico Chiesa.
Suspended: None.
What is Manchester City’s predicted team?
(4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Guéhi, Gvardiol; Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernández; Ndiaye, Cherki, Doku; Haaland.
Injured: None confirmed as definitely unavailable.
Doubts: Antoine Semenyo, Nico O’Reilly.
Suspended: Phil Foden.
Liverpool vs Manchester City prediction
I think Liverpool will make this considerably more difficult for City than their recent opponents have managed.
Anfield is rarely a comfortable place for visiting teams, and Iraola’s unbeaten start suggests the Reds are beginning to find their feet under the Spaniard.
However, there’s a reason City are sitting at the top of the Premier League.
Five wins from five is impressive enough, but victories at Old Trafford and against some tricky European opposition suggest Maresca’s side are capable of handling big occasions.
Liverpool’s injury problems are also a concern, particularly if Isak fails to recover in time.
I expect the hosts to cause City problems, but the visitors have looked too strong to oppose.
Score prediction: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester City
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