Man City vs Liverpool Tips, Predictions, News and Lineups Preview

A huge game at the top of the Premier League between the only two Champions of the last seven seasons. Reigning Champions Manchester City may have won the title six of the last seven campaigns but they’ve certainly not been playing that way for months now and find themselves all the way down in 4th and 16 points behind league leaders Liverpool. 

The Reds have set the pace throughout this Premier League season and come into this weekend eight points clear of 2nd place Arsenal albeit having played a game more. It could be a tense battle on Super Sunday.

Man City vs Liverpool Prediction 1: Cagey Cards

England, Premier League, Sunday, February 23rd, 16:30 (UK)

After well over three months, Manchester City’s inconsistent form can no longer be called a blip and something more fundamental is wrong. They’ve already lost seven of their 25 Premier League games this season at this stage – that’s only one fewer than the last two seasons combined. And they come into this off the back of being dumped out of the Champions League at the play-off stage by Real Madrid 6-3 having only finished 22nd in the group stage.

Looking back at the last few months, their poor form started at the end of October where they lost 2-1 away at Tottenham in the League Cup. This started a five game losing streak, where they went on to lose nine of 12 games – completely at odds with their relentless winning nature of previous years. In the 26 games beginning with their League Cup exit, they have won just nine, losing 13, conceding a huge 49 goals (1.88 per-game), with defeats against all of Liverpool, Arsenal, Real Madrid (twice), PSG, Juventus, Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Brighton, Tottenham (twice) and Man Utd.

It’s therefore no surprise that despite this game being played at the Etihad Stadium, Liverpool come into this as 2.30 favourites – the first time they have been favourites at Man City for 15 years (February 2010). However, all is not rosy defensively either, as they have only kept five clean sheets in 21 games since beating City 2-0 at the beginning of December. In that period they’ve conceded two or more at all of Newcastle, Tottenham, PSV and Everton, so the match odds looks best avoided.

The best bet here is to side with a low-carding match given both the downturn in cards over recent weeks and the referee involved in Anthony Taylor. This season the Premier League is averaging 4.41 cards per-game but 63 of the last 94 matches have seen under 4.5 cards (67%). And Anthony Taylor has the lowest card per-game average of any official that has taken charge of 10 or more matches this season with just 3.36 per-game (22 games). This despite handing out the Premier League record of 14 cards in Bournemouth v Chelsea in September! He also showed nine cards in Southampton v Leicester in October. Remove those and across his other 20 matches his average is just 2.55 per-game. As a result this bet has won in 15 of his 22 games this season (68%). In similar games, he handed out just two cards when Man City hosted Man Utd, four cards when Liverpool visited Arsenal and just two cards when Man City visited Chelsea.

Between the two sides this bet would have won in 8 of their last 10 Premier League meetings.

• Man City vs Liverpool Prediction 1: Under 4.5 Cards (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.83
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 6/10 (TRACKED BET)

Man City vs Liverpool Prediction odds via bet365 as at 12:00, February 20th, 2025. Odds may now differ.

Man City vs Liverpool Injuries, Team News and Possible Lineups Prediction: Haaland Healthy?

Erling Haaland was an unused substitute in Man City’s defeat at Real Madrid on Wednesday night after picking up an issue against Newcastle the previous weekend. John Stones was substituted after just eight minutes in the Spanish capital as his fitness struggles continue to cause him problems. 

Manuel Akanji is suffering with a groin injury and Rodri remains a long-term absence with his ACL knee injury. For Liverpool, Conor Bradley picked up a muscle injury after coming as a substitute against Aston Villa and is likely out for the next couple of weeks. Cody Gakpo is a fitness doubt whilst Joe Gomez has previously been ruled out for several weeks.

Man City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Khusanov, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, Kovacic; Bernardo, Foden, Marmoush; Haaland

Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Jota

Match OPTA Stats: High goals, low cards

• Liverpool are undefeated in their last 22 matches in the Premier League
• Liverpool have scored at least two goals in their last 6 matches in the Premier League
• There have been over 2.5 goals scored in Manchester City’s last 6 games in the Premier League
• Referee Anthony Taylor has shown less than five cards in 15 of his 22 games this season
• 8 of the last 10 Premier League meetings have seen fewer than five cards

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