Liverpool vs Manchester City
Having won the last four Premier League titles and six of the last seven Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are in unchartered territory.
The Sky Blues are six games without a win….yes, SIX! And next up they face Arne Slot’s Liverpool, the league leaders and now hot favourites to lift the title next May. City reached their low point last week when they were humiliated by a 4-0 home defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur; but could it get even worse for the team which has dazzled and dominated in England and Europe for so long?
The Sky Blues’ winless streak is their longest in eight years while Guardiola has never gone seven games without winning in his entire career as a head coach. Liverpool are now odds on with SBOTOP to win the league, priced at 1.75 with Manchester City, remarkably, in third position and out at 4.80. And Arne Slot’s Reds are looking for a seventh consecutive victory in all competitions; and that would bring a new kind of hell to the Sky Blues who would drift 11 points off the top, a huge gap to make up even for Guardiola’s all stars.
Manchester City have lauded it over their neighbours for a decade now but with a new arrival in the dugout at Manchester United there are probably more smiles at Old Trafford than there are at the Etihad at the moment. The Red Devils have made a shocking start to the campaign but, amazingly, if Ruben Amorin’s team can beat Everton on Sunday they will climb to within four points of City and so the nightmare could worsen for the Citizens…and this game is a huge opportunity for the Reds. The pre-match Liverpool vs Manchester City betting odds certainly say so.
This is a banger of a clash and, for us neutrals, we can relax while we watch and enjoy a high stakes game with a cup tea… and the best Asian Handicap SBOTOP offers.
Talking Points
Salah vs Haaland
This match pits together the two best strikers in the league and the leaders for the 2024/25 Golden Boot. Liverpool’s Mo Salah and City’s Erling Haaland have ten and 12 goals respectively and both will back themselves to increase their tallies in the biggest game of the season.
Salah has a superb record against the Sky Blues, scoring 11 goals and making six assists in 21 matches, the most any player has scored against a Pep Guardiola team. And the 32 year old Egyptian goal machine is in fine form again this season, his two goals in the win over Southampton last week making it ten goals and six assists from 12 games, and Salah has every chance of being the first player in Premier League history to register double figures in goals and assists in six separate seasons.
At 24 years of age Haaland is eight years Salah’s junior and he has his best years ahead of him but, right here and right now, he is being eclipsed by the senior hitman. While Salah has scored ten goals in his last 14 games game Haaland has bagged just two goals in seven league games, after starting the campaign with an incredible ten goals from five.
The giant Norwegian did score a double against Feyenoord in midweek but to little avail as the game ended in a 3-3 draw.
Team News
Liverpool will make late tests on centre back Ibrahima Konate and wing back Conor Bradley after they picked up knocks in a 2-0 win over Real Madrid in midweek and Caoimhin Kelleher is likely to continue in the nets with Alisson nearing a return.
The Sky Blues are without Rodri and his midfield replacement Mateo Kovacic, and so Rico Lewis is likely to continue in defensive midfield, while Kevin de Bruyne is in line for a start for City having recovered from a groin strain.
History
With 29 wins to 15 Liverpool have had the better of this relationship in the Premier League era and City have failed to win on their last three visits to Anfield. Both games ended in a 1-1 draw last season.
Get this folks, when we look at recent form with our habit of scanning the last six games this makes incredible reading. While the Reds have won their most recent six in all competitions, the Sky Blues have lost five and drawn one. Not one but three of the biggest Premier League 2024 results have rocked Manchester City recently, against Bournemouth, Brighton and Spurs; all games they expected to win.
Betting Tip
Liverpool are the favourites at a price of 2.06 with he Sky Blues at 2.91, which must be near the biggest price Guardiola’s men have been in 2024. The draw is priced at 3.31.
A 1-1 stalemate at a price of 6.95 is the most likely outcome but I’m hoping for a classic and a four goal feast.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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