Last week proved to be a pivotal one in the Premier League as Liverpool returned to winning ways with a thumping 4-0 victory over an in-form Crystal Palace at Anfield in one of their best displays for some time, while the following night Manchester City went down to a 2-1 defeat against Chelsea, a result which ensured that Liverpool would be the Premier League Champions this season.
However, City have a chance to gain a little revenge against the team that took their crown this season as they now face the Champions on Thursday night at the Etihad in a game that while not having much at stake for either side now the league is decided, still has bragging rights aplenty to be won for both teams. As such, it is sure to be one of the biggest games for betting since the lockdown.
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Let’s now quickly preview how we see the fixture on Thursday night going between the two teams.
A Preview of Man City v Liverpool
Post Lockdown Form – A Comparison
Manchester City
- V Arsenal (H) – W 3-0 (Sterling, De Bruyne, Foden)
- V Burnley (H) – W 5-0 (Foden 2, Mahrez 2, Silva.D)
- V Chelsea (A) – L 1-2 (De Bruyne)
- V Newcastle (A) – W 2-0 (FA Cup Quarterfinal) (De Bruyne, Sterling)
Liverpool
- V Everton (A) – D 0-0
- V Crystal Palace (H) – W 4-0 (Alexander-Arnold, Salah, Fabinho, Mane)
League Position
- Liverpool – 86 points from 31 games (+49) – Confirmed as Premier League Champions
- Man City – 63 points from 31 games (+44)
City are eight points clear of Leicester in third and nine ahead of Chelsea in fourth.
Other Competitions
- Manchester City are still in both the FA Cup (semi-finalists) and the Champions League (Round of 16 stage – Having beaten Real Madrid 2-1 away from home in the first leg of their tie with the second leg at the Etihad still to be played)
- Liverpool are out of both the FA Cup and the Champions League so only have their league fixtures to play.
Other Honours This Season
- Manchester City won the Football League Cup beating Aston Villa 2-1 in March.
- Liverpool won the European Super Cup, beating Chelsea on penalties last August and then also the FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar in December, beating Flamengo in the final.
Team News
Manchester City
Manchester City will definitely be without young defender Erik Garcia and experienced striker Sergio Aguero, who are both injured, while Fernandinho will serve the second game of his two-match suspension for being sent off away to Chelsea. The biggest decisions for Pep Guardiola are whether it will be Otamendi or perhaps Rodri who slots into central defence, with Rodri being the most likely to do that in my view, which would allow Bernardo Silva to come into midfield. Despite scoring three goals in his last two Premier League games, I am expecting Phil Foden to start from the bench once again while I think Mendy will hold onto his place in the team ahead of Zinchenko.
Man City Predicted Team – (4-3-3) – Ederson, Walker, Rodri, Laporte, Mendy, Silva.B, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Sterling, Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus
Liverpool
Liverpool’s only two injury concerns are James Milner and Joel Matip and both could be fit for this game, although I think with nothing on the line for the Reds, it is unlikely manager Jurgen Klopp would risk either player unless they are 100% fit for the game. With the league title won, Klopp could pick a young and less experienced team for this game, but I feel he would not want his newly crowned team to run the risk of a heavy loss to their closest rivals and with a week to prepare for this game, I expect Liverpool to be at full strength when the game starts and to perhaps give youngsters a chance from the bench in the latter stages of the game, especially if they have established a good sized lead.
Liverpool Predicted XI – (4-3-3) – Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Gomez, Van Dijk, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Salah, Mane, Firmino
Key Factors in the game
Having played two games less than Manchester City after a three month layoff, while City have played four games in the space of just over two weeks, Liverpool should be by far the fresher of the two teams having also had a longer period to prepare for this game. City have shown in recent games a tailing off in performance in the second half and I think Liverpool could well start to dominate the game in the latter stages as City start to tire. As such, I expect City to make a number of changes in the second half to try and mitigate the effect of fatigue on their team.
If the league title was still to play for, then this would be an all out game for both sides. With Man City arguably more concerned with the FA Cup and Champions League and Liverpool already having won the Premier League title, the pressure for once is off both teams and that could mean one of two things. Either we get an attacking feast with the shackles off, or both teams play it a little more safely with not so much on the line. However, with the two teams being fierce rivals, I think the former is more likely than the latter.
How will the game go?
City have home advantage and I think Pep Guardiola will know a strong start is key for them here. If City grab the opening goal, then I can’t see them losing this game and I think they will, only for Liverpool to take advantage of a tiring City in the second half to claim an equaliser.
Tip – Manchester City 1-1 Liverpool (15/2 at bet365)