Both Manchester City and Liverpool are flying high at the moment. They have 7 points in the Premier League, each. The season has only just started three rounds ago, but those who want to stay on top need to provide their best from the beginning. That’s why you can be certain that neither side will lack motivation on Saturday – the quality is what will decide the clash!
All of this means that we’ll witness a very entertaining game at the Etihad Stadium, with two sides who are among the best teams in the world today. In order to make the match even more interesting, why not place a small bet? If you need help deciding what to bet on, this article should be able to help you!
Manchester City vs. Liverpool
Three-Way: 1: Manchester City +100; X: +305 Draw; 2: Liverpool +340
Spread -0.5: Manchester City -112; Liverpool +110
Total +3: Over -111; Under +106
MANCHESTER CITY
Before the new Premier League season started, Manchester City was the number 1 favorite for grabbing the title. Their city rivals might look a bit closer to achieving that goal at this point, but the Citizens are determined to prove their worth. If they’re gonna compete for the Premier League title, Manchester City will need to beat everyone, even teams like Liverpool.
Man City will have a lot of help in achieving that goal, as this game takes place at the Etihad Stadium, where the Sky Blues have always been amazing. In fact, they’re without a home defeat since December last year. Furthermore, if you take a look at their home stats from the last Premier League season, you will see that Manchester City had only one defeat, with 11 wins and 7 draws.
This season, they’re planning to do even better. After all, they need to compete for the title after spending almost 250 million Euro on transfers this summer! The biggest signings, Benjamin Mendy, Kyle Walker, and Bernardo Silva are eager to prove their worth. The same goes for the goalkeeper, Ederson Moraes, who came from Benfica for 40 million Euro.
Without any doubt, all of these players are extremely talented, which is why you can expect them to explode anytime soon. Mendy made his debut in the previous match when his side won 2:1 against AFC Bournemouth, with a goal in the extra time. Kyle Walker had to miss that game, because of the red card he received in the duel with Everton.
What this means is that all of the new players are available for this match. In fact, Pep Guardiola can count on all players except Raheem Sterling. Despite almost moving to another club during the transfer period, Sterling did very well in the clash with Bournemouth. Actually, he was the man who brought Manchester City all three points in the 7 minute of the stoppage time. He did receive a red card two minutes later, but not many fans are going to take that against him.
So, without Sterling in the team, Bernardo Silva is expected to cover the flanks, together with Leroy Sane. Both players are young, but they do have plenty of experience needed for these kinds of duels. The same goes for Gabriel Jesus, who might start the game again, instead of Sergio Aguero, who was a regular last season.
Speaking of Aguero, he was the scorer in the last duel between these two sides, which ended 1-1. That was their 6th straight clash in which Man City failed to win. Actually, the last time Manchester City won against Liverpool was in 2014!
LIVERPOOL
Saying that the Reds have been impressive this Premier League season would be an understatement. In the previous round, they destroyed Arsenal 4-0. They also did very well in the Europa League qualifiers, beating Hoffenheim in both matches of the doubleheader.
Furthermore, Liverpool is without a defeat for a while. They did lose to Atletico Madrid on penalties in the Audi Cup earlier this summer, but they’re without a loss in the Premier League since April. The best thing is that most of the players who were regulars last season are still in the club. In fact, Liverpool only made big signings, without letting their any of crucial players go.
Despite the media hype about Phillipe Couthino going to Barcelona, the playmaker is still in the club. In fact, the clash with Manchester City might be his first match of the season, as he was sidelined so far due to an injury problem.
Speaking of the transfers, Liverpool did a very good job this summer, bringing two A-list signings. Mo Salah joined the club in the early stages of the transfer period and has fit in the squad perfectly. Actually, Salah has been one of their best players this season. Another player who’s expected to add to the might of Liverpool is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He joined the club a few days ago and is yet to make a debut in Liverpool’s jersey.
Liverpool did fail to bring another central defender, which was one of the major plans of their manager, Jurgen Klopp. He set his eye on Virgil Van Dyke, but Southampton didn’t want to let him go. That’s why it now seems that the weakest link in the Liverpool team is the defense. Still, Lovren and Matip did a very good job against Arsenal in the last round, ensuring that their goalkeeper stays unbeaten.
When it comes to the absentees, Klopp won’t be able to count on Lallana and Clyne. Both players have been out for a while and Liverpool has been doing well without them.
Manchester City vs. Liverpool – Match Prediction
Although it seems that Liverpool has a slight advantage in this game, betting on away win is still too risky. One thing seems certain, though. We are likely to see a great drama on Saturday, probably with goals on both ends. Both sides have amazing attacking potential, while their defensive lines are not among the best in the world. However, knowing that both teams will start their Champions League campaign next week, I would expect a somewhat cautious play on both ends. With that being said, I would go with the Under in this one.
MY PICK: Under 3 goals (+106)
