Updated:
Mar 31, 2023 6:20 pm
Coming into this fixture trailing eight points behind league leaders Arsenal, Manchester City will need nothing short of a victory at the Etihad Stadium on April 1 when facing up against an unpredictable Liverpool side.
While perhaps not carrying the same amount of intrigue around this fixture as in years gone by, Manchester City and Liverpool will clash in a season-defining bout for both sides.
The defending champions are currently in an eight-point deficit to Arsenal with a game in hand on their title rivals, looking to close that gap before Arsenal kick-off against Leeds United shortly after.
Meanwhile, the visitors have slightly different ambitions from those that may have concerned them last season, with a top-four finish in genuine jeopardy for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Event Details –
Date: Saturday, April 1st
Time: 12:30 pm (BST)
Where to Watch: BT Sport Ultimate, BTSport.com, BT Sport 1
Stadium: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Referee: Simon Hooper
Last fixture: Manchester City 3-2 Liverpool (FA Cup)
Current Form
Manchester City’s Form
All Competitions: W/W/W/W/W/W
Premier League: W/W/D/W/W/W
Since losing to Tottenham Hotspur back in early February, Manchester City have begun to click through the gears, going unbeaten in all competitions in their last 10 matches.
Erling Haaland specifically has rediscovered his lethal touch in front of goal, scoring eight in his previous two appearances for City and dispatching decisively from the spot to defeat Crystal Palace 1-0 in their last Premier League outing.
Liverpool’s Form
All Competitions: L/D/W/W/L/L
Premier League: W/W/D/W/W/L
Meanwhile, after a return to form in the Premier League and a 7-0 triumph over fierce rivals Manchester United, one would think that would have given them the belief and confidence leading into the crunch time of the season.
However, quite the contrary was to follow, as not for the first time this season, Liverpool were unable to punish their opponents in their next match against Bournemouth, missing four big chances throughout the 90 minutes and consequently losing 1-0 against opponents they beat 9-0 earlier this term.
Head-to-Head
In the most recent history between the two sides, Klopp has a slight edge over Pep Guardiola’s side, claiming three victories across the previous five encounters, with Manchester City only winning once in the most latest meeting in the EFL Cup.
Although Manchester City has a strong record against Liverpool when playing at the Etihad in the Premier League, they have not been defeated by the Reds at home in the league since Guardiola arrived at the club.
Due to the quality of both sides’ frontlines and the philosophies that they play with, this fixture has always been guaranteed entertainment and goals, with a staggering 38 goals across the last 10 matches between the two.
Team News
Manchester City news:
Phil Foden has been ruled out of this clash through illness and is expected to return to action for City’s trip to St. Mary’s on April 8.
Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland is also a doubt for this contest, as the Norweigan is currently still being monitored over his Groin/Hip/Pelvic injury that kept him out of action during the international break, although he is still expected to start up top for City.
Manchester City’s possible starting XI:
Ederson; Stones, Akanji, Dias, Ake; Rodri, Gundogan; Silva, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland
Liverpool news:
Naby Keita, Joe Gomez, Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Calvin Ramsey have all been ruled out for this matchup and will not feature here.
Luis Diaz is expected to make his long-awaited return to the side, but will most likely feature from the bench due to match sharpness.
Greek left-back Konstantinos Tsimikas is still undergoing assessment on a rib injury and is not likely to feature here.
Liverpool’s possible starting XI:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Elliot, Fabinho, Henderson; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez
Key Player
Manchester City: Kevin De Bruyne
Regardless of whether Erling Haaland starts this game or not, Kevin De Bruyne will be Manchester City’s key to success here. The Belgian will be vital in picking up pockets of space, driving his team forward, and finding his teammates in dangerous areas.
If the playmaker can find his range behind Liverpool’s high line, he will be City’s biggest threat in terms of providing the likes of Haaland with goalscoring opportunities.
Liverpool: Alisson Becker
Unlike many other seasons, away at the Etihad, it is more than likely that Liverpool will be the side under the most defensive pressure, and therefore Brazilian shot-stopper Alisson will need to be at his best to keep City out here.
The 30-year-old is one of the best at his craft in the business and has been outstanding between the sticks for the majority of the season, despite his team’s overall dropoff in form, preventing a league-high 8.6 goals so far.
Score Prediction
Manchester City 3:1 Liverpool
While being an incredibly difficult fixture to predict, we believe Manchester City are more likely to come out on top in this affair at home in a must-win game.
If Liverpool is able to bury the chances they create, as they did against Manchester United a few weeks ago, they could upset the odds and seriously disrupt their opponent’s title charge; however, due to their profligacy in front of goal this season and inability to be consistent, we believe that Manchester City will score enough to comfortably see out this game.
