The Premier League Matchday 26 clash between Manchester City and Liverpool will be held on February 23 at the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City vs. Liverpool: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Manchester City
Earlier in February, the Citizens suffered a surprising heavy defeat away at Arsenal in the league (1-5). However, in the following round, Pep Guardiola's side redeemed themselves in front of their fans by thrashing Newcastle 4-0 at home. This was their fifth win in the last seven Premier League matches (alongside one draw and one loss). The team reclaimed fourth place in the league standings, but they are only one point ahead of their closest top-four competitors, Bournemouth and Chelsea.
- At least four goals have been scored in six of Manchester City's previous league matches.
- Both teams scored in 8 of the last 11 Premier League matches for the Citizens.
- The Mancunians scored at least two goals in 6 of their last 7 Premier League games.
Predicted lineup for Manchester City (4-2-3-1)
Ederson – John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, Abdulkadir Husainov, Rico Lewis – Ilkay Gundogan, Nico Gonzalez – Savio, Phil Foden, Omar Marmoush – Erling Haaland.
Midfielder Rodri Hernandez, forward Oscar Bobb, and defenders John Stones and Manuel Akanji are out due to injuries.
Liverpool
Arne Slot's side played their rescheduled Matchday 29 fixture against Aston Villa on Wednesday. The away game ended in a 2-2 draw. The club remains confidently at the top of the league, leading their nearest rival by 8 points, although Arsenal still has a game in hand. Notably, Liverpool is the most prolific team in the Premier League (62 goals), surpassing Manchester City, who is second in this regard, by 10 goals. Additionally, Liverpool extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to 22 matches (15 wins and 7 draws).
- Both teams scored in 10 of the last 13 league matches for the club.
- At least three goals were scored in 10 of Liverpool's last 13 Premier League games.
- Liverpool won the second half in 9 of their last 10 away Premier League matches.
Predicted lineup for Liverpool (4-2-3-1)
Alisson Becker – Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson, Ibrahima Konate – Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch – Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Mohamed Salah – Diogo Jota.
Defenders Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez, along with midfielder Tyler Morton, will not play due to injuries.
Referee
Anthony Taylor (England)
Matches – 22 (Premier League, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 71;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.2;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 32%.
Match Prediction: Manchester City vs. Liverpool
On Wednesday, while Liverpool played their Premier League match against Aston Villa, the Mancunians had their Champions League return leg. Pep Guardiola's side lost again to Real Madrid (aggregate score of 3-6), resulting in their exit from European competition. Manchester City once again looked shaky in defense, with the lack of cohesion among new defenders evident. Additionally, defender John Stones suffered another injury.
Liverpool could exploit the Citizens' defensive issues. Arne Slot's side is averaging 2.4 goals per game in the current league. The team is confident on the road, remaining unbeaten in 16 consecutive Premier League away matches (9 wins and 7 draws). Notably, in this series of matches, Liverpool scored at least two goals 14 times.
The visitors have no injury concerns, the team is in excellent form, and it's crucial for them to accumulate as many points as possible, as their Champions League matches will commence in March. My prediction: Liverpool individual total over 1.5 goals
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
