Manchester City
Haaland’s incredible form was the talk of the town in the buildup to City’s Champions League clash against his previous team Borussia Dortmund. However, Phil Foden stole the limelight with a brace as the Citizens destroyed BVB 4-1.
City also enjoyed domestic success in their last Premier League match. Bournemouth came to Etihad as the second-placed side. The hosts were not in great spirits after a surprise loss at Aston Villa, but City set aside this frustration and produced a much-improved display to win 3-1.
Now, they head into this Liverpool clash as leaders of the chasing pack behind Arsenal. Since they are the home team as well, football betting sites have installed them as firm favourites for this match.
Team News: Mateo Kovacic is set to miss out once more, still recovering from an ankle injury.
Predicted Lineup: Donnarumma; Nunes, Stones, Dias, Ait-Nouri; Gonzalez; Savinho, Reijnders, Foden, Doku; Haaland.
Liverpool
A string of four straight defeats have dealt a heavy blow to Liverpool’s title ambitions. It’s still not too late for a turnaround though, and recent results suggest the dark clouds are finally beginning to clear. A win against Villa brought some much needed relief, before their victory against Real Madrid only added to their growing belief.
Arne Slot still has some crucial questions to address. Expensive summer acquisitions Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz are still underperforming. Mohamed Salah has also been relatively quiet by his astronomical standards.
Slot’s men did win at Etihad last season. A quick look at the head-to-head records show that Manchester City have not been a particularly daunting away fixture for Liverpool - they have lost only once in their last five trips to City’s den.
Team News: Isak is expected to be sidelined with a groin issue.
Predicted Lineup: Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Ekitike.
