Manchester City welcome Liverpool to the Etihad Stadium in Saturday’s early Premier League kick off, with the pair occupying first and second place in the table.
It’s a mouthwatering clash to come back to following the international break and it’s a game that may decide the eventual league winners come May 2024. Both sides will need to concentrate on the here and now however, and that will no doubt be the message from Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola to their players.
All eyes will be on this fixture come lunchtime on Saturday and we’ve taken an in-depth look to try and find you some winning bets.
Home advantage
In the last four meetings between these two clubs, the home side has won each time. The most recent of those was a convincing 4-1 win for City in April of this year. Guardiola wouldn’t mind a repeat of that at all and, having won all of their competitive home games this season, they must be feeling confident.
The Reds won’t just roll over their hosts here though and with just a point separating them at the top, a victory for the visitors would send a clear message. After a good start to the season on the road, Klopp’s men have recently fallen into a bit of an inconsistent slump, winning just one of their last five away games. This will be tough for the Merseysiders.
Expect goals
It’s probably fair to say that these two sides have the best attacking lineups in the league, and even possibly across Europe. Neither team is willing to back down and they stick to their respective game plans, to a fault at times. What this means, however, is that neutrals get to enjoy some of the most entertaining matches of the season when these teams meet.
Both teams have scored in eight of the last ten meetings, with the two most recent games producing a whopping 10 goals. If that’s anything to go by, this is going to be a cracker. Those impressive stats will likely be bolstered by the fact that each side has two of the league’s top scorers in Erling Haaland for City and Mo Salah for Liverpool. The Egyptian has scored in each of his last four games against the Citizens.
Take advantage
With just three points separating top from fifth place, there’s no doubt that this game will have a huge impact on the top half of the table. The way the other fixtures have stacked up, it’s a good opportunity for Arsenal to take advantage should this game and the Spurs v Aston Villa game end in a draw.
Nobody should be counting their chickens just yet though, as these titanic sides first need to lock horns to decide the stakes for the remaining games across the weekend. Football fans all over Europe will be tuning into this one.
Suggested bets
- Man City to win & BTTS
- Erling Haaland & Mo Salah to score
- 3-1 Correct Score
