Analysis: Liverpool Vs Man City

Liverpool vs Manchester City Preview and Prediction. Can the Champions Stop Guardiola at Anfield

Liverpool host Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday in a fixture that has come to define elite competition in the Premier League. While this meeting may not directly decide the title this time around, it still carries major significance for both sides.

Match Overview and Key Figures

Opta’s supercomputer slightly favours Liverpool, giving the reigning champions a 43 percent chance of victory. Manchester City are rated at 30.3 percent to claim all three points, while the probability of a draw stands at 26.7 percent.

Liverpool have made Anfield a difficult ground for City in league meetings. The Reds have been beaten just once in their last 22 Premier League home games against Guardiola’s side, recording 14 wins and seven draws. That lone defeat came in February 2021 when Liverpool were also defending champions.

Erling Haaland has yet to score in a Premier League away match against Liverpool, failing to find the net in three visits to Anfield. It is one of only two league grounds where the striker has played without scoring.

A Defining Premier League Rivalry

For much of the past decade, meetings between Liverpool and Manchester City set the standard in English football. The managerial duel between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola produced some of the league’s most memorable title races.

This season, however, the context is different.

Liverpool defeated City home and away last season, winning 2 0 on both occasions on their way to lifting the Premier League trophy, while City slipped out of the title picture. This time, Guardiola’s side are pushing for revenge and aiming to complete a rare league double.

City already recorded a 3 0 victory in the reverse fixture at the Etihad Stadium and are seeking their first league double over Liverpool since the 1936 37 season.

Form Guide and Momentum

Manchester City remain in contention for the title but have lacked their usual dominance. A 2 2 draw away at Tottenham, after surrendering a two goal advantage, left them six points behind leaders Arsenal, with the gap potentially increasing before kick off.

Liverpool’s title defence has been uneven. The Reds sit sixth on the table, 14 points behind Arsenal. However, they responded strongly to a late defeat against Bournemouth by defeating Newcastle United 4 1, earning their first league win of 2026.

City also faced Newcastle recently, eliminating them in the EFL Cup semi final to set up a Wembley final against Arsenal next month.

Liverpool’s Ability to Respond

Liverpool entered the Newcastle match on a five game winless league run, their worst since 2021, and appeared in trouble after conceding early. However, they responded impressively.

Florian Wirtz provided the spark, setting up Hugo Ekitike for the equaliser before the striker scored again moments later. Wirtz added a goal of his own in the second half, while Ibrahima Konate rounded off the scoring late on.

Liverpool have shown a strong tendency to recover from difficult positions. Since the start of last season, only three Premier League teams have collected more points after falling behind. They have also been one of the league’s most productive sides in matches where they conceded first.

Although a poor spell earlier in the campaign damaged their title defence, Liverpool have been tough to beat since matchday 13, suffering just one defeat in that period.

Tactical Trends

There is a strong possibility Liverpool may need to come from behind again. Manchester City are the only Premier League team in 2026 yet to concede a first half goal, scoring six times before the interval.

However, City have failed to score in the second half of any league match this year, conceding six goals after the break, a weakness Liverpool may look to exploit.

City also have a strong record away against reigning champions, winning five of their last six such league matches.

Players to Watch

Despite Haaland’s struggles at Anfield, City still possess considerable attacking quality. Antoine Semenyo, who scored twice at Anfield for Bournemouth earlier this season, and Rayan Cherki, one of the league’s leading creators, will pose major threats.

For Liverpool, Hugo Ekitike has been outstanding. He has averaged a goal involvement every 112 minutes this season, the best debut campaign return by a Liverpool player since Mohamed Salah. His brace against Newcastle took him to 10 league goals, making him the youngest Liverpool player to reach double figures in a top flight season since Michael Owen.

Wirtz has also come into his own, leading all Premier League players in goal involvement across competitions since late December. His partnership with Ekitike has already produced six league goals, the most by any attacking duo this season.

Head to Head Record

Liverpool have lost just one of their last 22 Premier League home matches against Manchester City.

City are aiming to complete their first league double over Liverpool since the late 1930s.

The last team to beat Liverpool twice without conceding in a single Premier League season was West Ham United in 2015 16.

Prediction

Liverpool are slight favourites according to Opta’s projections, but Manchester City remain capable of taking something from Anfield. With City’s title hopes rated at just 5.9 percent, Guardiola’s side cannot afford to miss opportunities if they are to stay in the race.

Liverpool win probability 43 percent
Draw probability 26.7 percent
Manchester City win probability 30.3 percent

Expected Lineups

Liverpool
Alisson
Szoboszlai Konate Van Dijk Kerkez
Gravenberch Mac Allister
Salah Wirtz Gakpo
Ekitike
Head coach Arne Slot

Manchester City
Donnarumma
Nunes Khusanov Guehi O Reilly
Rodri Reijnders
Foden Cherki Semenyo
Haaland
Manager Pep Guardiola