On Sunday, March 10, 2024, at 15:45 UTC, Liverpool will be hosting Manchester City at Anfield for Round 28 of the Premier League.
Liverpool Form
Liverpool leads the Premier League with 63 points after 27 matches, one point ahead of Manchester City. They've won 19, drawn six, and lost two games. In their recent five matches, Liverpool secured consecutive victories. Notably, they won 4-1 against Luton Town after recovering from a 1-0 halftime deficit. They also clinched the League Cup with a 1-0 win over Chelsea, courtesy of a late goal from Virgil van Dijk. Additionally, Liverpool triumphed 3-0 against Southampton in the FA Cup and controversially won 1-0 against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. In the Europa League Round of 16 first leg, Liverpool dominated Sparta Prague with a 5-1 victory.
Manchester City Form
Manchester City is second in the Premier League with 62 points from 27 matches, trailing Liverpool by one point and leading Arsenal by one point. In their recent five matches, City achieved five victories. Notably, they won 1-0 against both Brentford and Bournemouth, with Erling Haaland scoring the decisive goal in the former. In the FA Cup Fifth Round, City defeated Luton 6-2, with Haaland netting five goals. The Manchester derby against United ended in a 3-1 victory for City, featuring two goals from Phil Foden and one from Haaland. City's latest outing was a 3-1 win against Copenhagen in the Champions League Round of 16 second leg, securing their advancement to the next stage.
Head to Head
Liverpool and Manchester City have faced each other 225 times since their inaugural encounter in 1893. Liverpool has been the dominant force in this matchup, securing 108 victories compared to Manchester City's 60, while the remaining 57 matches concluded in a draw.
The most recent meeting in the league occurred on November 25, 2023, during Premier League match day 13, concluding with a 1-1 draw between Manchester City and Liverpool.
Team news
Jurgen Klopp plans to carefully manage the team's injury concerns as they approach the crucial phase of the campaign. The notable update for the home team is the return of Mohammed Salah, who has recovered from a three-week thigh injury. Salah made a substitute appearance in the 5-1 victory against Sparta Prague on Thursday and aims to secure a starting spot.
Dominik Szoboszlai is also back in contention, but goalkeeper Alisson is likely to be unavailable, along with Trent Alexander-Arnold. Additionally, there are uncertainties surrounding Ibrahima Konate, who seemed to suffer a muscle injury in the match against Sparta Prague.
Man City will be without Jack Grealish, but Pep Guardiola has the opportunity to reintegrate several crucial players into the starting lineup after they were rested during the UEFA Champions League victory against Copenhagen. Kyle Walker, Nathan Ake, John Stones, Kevin De Bruyne, and Phil Foden are expected to return to the starting XI at Anfield.
Predicted Lineup
Liverpool possible lineup:
(4-3-3): Kelleher (GK), Bradley, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Mac Allister, Endo, Szoboszlai, Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Manchester City possible lineup:
(3-2-4-1): Ederson (GK), Walker, Dias, Ake, Rodri, Stones, Foden, Silva, De Bruyne, Alvarez, Haaland.
Liverpool vs Manchester City Prediction:
Due to the historically intense nature of clashes between Klopp and Guardiola's teams, goals are highly likely. With only a slim three-point margin between the leading teams, a draw in this matchup may not necessarily hinder the aspirations of either side.