Premier League: Manchester City vs Liverpool betting preview

After an eventful international break across the world, the Premier League returns this weekend and we’ll have one monster clash on our hands. Manchester City will host rivals Liverpool at the Etihad on Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 7:30 AM EST. At the moment, City is just one point ahead of the Reds in first place, so this fixture is a very important one. The Sky Blues are coming off a thrilling 4-4 draw with Chelsea on matchday 12, while the Merseysiders hammered Brentford 3-0. Below, we’ll discuss head-to-head history and preview the game.

City the better side lately

There have been many tantalizing meetings between these two. City has the upper hand in recent memory, notching 3-2 and 4-1 victories in their last two encounters. Prior to that, however, Liverpool won three straight against the Cityzens, but only of those matches was in Premier League play. We can certainly expect another must-watch fixture on Saturday.

Man City flawless at home

Yes, Pep Guardiola’s side has already lost twice this term, but they’re a perfect 5-0-0 in league action at the Etihad. That’s undoubtedly a promising sign ahead of Saturday’s battle. City is in very good form as usual, winning five games in a row before the 4-4 draw with Chelsea on November 12th. That was honestly a surprising result given their track record of success against the Blues, but Mauricio Pochettino’s men turned up and gave the Sky Blues a serious run for their money.

Just three points separates City in top spot and Aston Villa in fifth, which means things are still completely wide open in the title race and for the Champions League berths. After all, it’s not even halfway through the campaign. Regardless, Man City won’t be happy with anything but three points here, which could give them a bit of breathing room depending on how Arsenal fares against the Bees. 

City was dealt a scare over the break with Erling Haaland suffering an injury on international duty with Norway, but it appears he’s just fine and will be fit for the Liverpool affair, which is obviously huge. Haaland has already banged in 13 goals in the Premier League and has three braces in his last five appearances across all competitions. The Sky Blues will be hoping his ruthless ways in front of goal can continue versus the Reds. City is a clear -153 favorite at 888sport.

Is Liverpool a title contender?

Although it’s a well-known fact that Liverpool had a putrid campaign to their standards in 2022-23 where they only qualified for Europa, it appears Jurgen Klopp’s side is back in business. The Merseysiders own an 8-3-1 record and have a +17 goal difference, which is second-best in the top flight behind you guessed it, City. Liverpool has scored 27 times and conceded only 10. That’s the lowest mark in the EPL alongside the Gunners.

Mo Salah is firing on all cylinders to lead the way up top with 10 goals while Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez both have four goals apiece, too. This attack is absolutely devastating, with countless other options including Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, who are more than capable of producing the goods.

Liverpool are playing good football right now, going 3-2-0 in their last five league outings. Salah’s brace highlighted the win over Brentford. Jota also netted to seal the deal late in the second half. Most soccer betting sites are labeling the visitors as an underdog at the Etihad, but there’s no telling what can happen here if this frontline can muster up some opportunities. They will be hopeful of doing just that considering City’s backline just let in four to Chelsea.