Liverpool vs Man City Prediction: Betting Tips & Odds

Manchester City arrive at Anfield with five wins from five, and Liverpool haven’t lost a league game under Andoni Iraola yet.

Liverpool host City in the Premier League at 4:30am on Monday New Zealand time, the first game back for both after a three-week international break. Liverpool are sixth on nine points, six adrift of City at the top.

I’m not siding with either team in this Liverpool vs Man City preview. My pick at the end is a market plenty of punters skip past in a game this big, and it’s paying north of $3.50.

But for those keen on football betting tips that don’t just follow the crowd, read on.

Liverpool

I’m not convinced by Liverpool at home yet.

Nottingham Forest left Anfield with a 2-2 draw in August, and Fulham shut them out completely in a 0-0 on 12 September. Neither performance would have worried City much.

Away from home it’s been a different story. They won at Ipswich and Bournemouth without conceding, and that’s three clean sheets on the bounce heading into this one. Virgil van Dijk has been the constant at the back through that run.

Florian Wirtz is the player I’m most curious about. His form has been a talking point for weeks, and I can see Iraola being tempted to leave him out for a game of this size. I’d start him.

Bradley Barcola gives them pace out wide, and I expect him to run at Josko Gvardiol, who’s been filling in at left-back for City.

Team News: Ekitike and Bradley are out, and Leoni is still working his way back from a long-term knee injury. Isak, Gakpo, Jacquet and Chiesa are doubts.

Predicted Lineup: Alisson; Araujo, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Barcola, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Isak.

Manchester City

City are winning games without looking watertight.

Five from five is a serious start under Enzo Maresca, but they’ve conceded in three of those games. Sunderland scored three times at the Etihad on 20 September, with Brian Brobbey grabbing a hat-trick, and City still won 5-3.

Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring that day with a free-kick, his first goal since the move from Chelsea. Rayan Cherki also got on the scoresheet, and he’s the City player I’d worry about most if I were a Liverpool fan.

Off the pitch, it’s been a messy few weeks. An independent panel found City guilty of 114 charges during the break, and this is their first league game since. I honestly don’t know how that plays on the players, and Anfield is about the most hostile ground they could’ve been handed.

City are priced almost level with Liverpool, so it’s worth checking the betting promotions on offer before you get involved.

Team News: Foden serves the final game of his three-match ban. Semenyo and O’Reilly are doubts.

Predicted Lineup: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol; Fernandez, Anderson; Ndiaye, Cherki, Doku; Haaland.

• City have won their last three meetings with Liverpool in all competitions.
• City are unbeaten in 10 Premier League away games.
• City have scored in 21 consecutive Premier League games.
• City’s league games are averaging 3.6 goals this season.
• Liverpool have conceded four league goals in five games.

I see a draw here.

City have the better recent record in this fixture, I won’t argue with that. But they’ve been leaky for a side with a perfect record, and a fired-up Anfield crowd is a very different test to Coventry at the Etihad.

So much depends on who’s fit. If Alexander Isak misses out, Liverpool lose their main goal threat, as he’s got four of their seven league goals. And if Erling Haaland is still feeling it after coming off fatigued for Norway, City look a lot less scary up front.

My gut says Liverpool score first and City spend the second half chasing it. I’m calling 1-1, with both teams scoring.

I wouldn’t touch either side to win at these prices.

Draw @ $3.60

Liverpool have drawn three of their five league games, and City haven’t played anyone from the current top six yet.

Four of City’s 10 unbeaten away games ended level as well, so they’ve been happy enough to settle for a point on the road before.

It’s a nervy one to back, I know. One moment of quality from either side kills it.

You’ll find $3.60 or close to it across the best new betting sites in New Zealand.