Premier League: Liverpool vs. Man City starting XIs, predictions, odds, TV

Liverpool vs. Manchester City

• When: Sunday 7 October
• Where: Anfield, Liverpool
• Kick-off: 4.30pm (UK time)
• TV channel: live on Sky Sports

It’s second versus first on Sunday as Liverpool take on champions Manchester City in a match that the Daily Mail describes as “undoubtedly the most exciting fixture the Premier League has to offer”.

Pep Guardiola’s City sit top of the table on goal difference ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, with both teams on 19 points. Unbeaten so far, City and Liverpool have each won six and drawn one of their opening seven matches.

Although Guardiola and City romped to the title last season, they came unstuck against Klopp’s team when playing at Anfield. City beat Liverpool 5-0 in the Etihad clash in September 2017, but Liverpool recorded a 4-3 league victory at Anfield in January and also beat City home and away (5-1 on aggregate) in the Champions League.

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According to the BBC, Klopp is Guardiola’s “kryptonite”. As manager of Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, German Klopp has faced Guardiola on 14 occasions, when the Spaniard was in charge of Bayern Munich and now City.

Klopp’s eight victories against Guardiola gives him a 57% winning ratio, but the BBC says that the City boss can “always point to the trophy cabinet if he feels the need for a riposte”.

With three points and two unbeaten league records on the line at Anfield, Sunday’s clash promises to be a classic in the early race for the Premier League title.

Confirmed starting XIs

Predictions

Paul Merson, Sky Sports: “I’m slightly favouring Manchester City. For me, it looks like hard work for Liverpool at the moment. I think City will have the edge. It’s at Anfield and the Liverpool fans are as good as anybody else’s fans, but I just think the last couple of games will have taken something out of Liverpool. Prediction: Liverpool 1 Man City 2.”

The Daily Telegraph: “Another absolute cracker of a game between these two sides, and plenty of goals to go with it. Liverpool to edge a five-goal thriller. Prediction: Liverpool 3 Man City 2.”

Mark Lawrenson, BBC Sport: “People are seeing City and Liverpool both being in quite average form as being a negative issue, but if you look at it another way then they are both near the top of the table and they haven't even started playing the way they can. Prediction: Liverpool 1 Man City 1.”

Liverpool vs. Man City betting odds

Prices according to Oddschecker (as of 5 October).

• Liverpool to win: 8/5
• Man City to win: 27/10
• Draw: 15/8

Correct score

• Draw 1-1: 13/2
• Liverpool 2-1: 10/1
• Man City 2-1: 10/1
• Draw 2-2: 11/1
• Liverpool 1-0: 12/1
• Man City 1-0: 12/1
• Draw 0-0: 15/1
• Liverpool 2-0: 16/1
• Man City 2-0: 17/1

This weekend’s Premier League fixtures

Friday 5 October

• Brighton & Hove Albion vs. West Ham United (8pm, live on Sky Sports)

Saturday 6 October (3pm unless stated)

• Burnley vs. Huddersfield Town
• Crystal Palace vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
• Leicester City vs. Everton
• Tottenham Hotspur vs. Cardiff City
• Watford vs. Bournemouth
• Manchester United vs. Newcastle United (5.30pm, live on BT Sport 1)

Sunday 7 October

• Fulham vs. Arsenal (12pm, live on BT Sport 1)
• Southampton vs. Chelsea (2.15pm, live on Sky Sports)
• Liverpool vs. Manchester City (4.30pm, live on Sky Sports)