Liverpool v Man City predictions: The Wirtz case scenario for Pep Guardiola
So often in recent seasons, Liverpool v Man City has been absolutely pivotal in the title race.
But this year it has more the air of a team who will probably finish runners-up in the league travelling to a side scrapping away to make the top four.
Liverpool (7) and Manchester City (5) have lost 12 top-flight games between them and there’s still over a third of the season to play.
And yet this remains an encounter that still sets the pulse racing and, who knows, it could even be a dress rehearsal for the FA Cup final or Champions League final.
City are already into one 2026 final having brushed aside Newcastle 3-1 (5-1 aggregate) in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final in midweek.
Liverpool are also coming in off an impressive win over the Magpies after they fought back from 1-0 down to thump Eddie Howe’s men 4-1 at Anfield last weekend.
Second-placed City start the weekend six points behind leaders Arsenal while the sixth-placed Reds are a further eight points adrift.
How to watch Liverpool v Man City
Liverpool v Man City kicks off at 16.30 GMT on Sunday, February 8 at Anfield.
The game will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting from 4pm.
BBC Radio 5 Live will provide full match commentary.
Liverpool team news
Liverpool’s problems are mainly at right-back with Conor Bradley facing a lengthy absence and Arne Slot confirming on Friday that Jeremie Frimpong is still unavailable after limping off against Qarabag.
There’s a chance that Joe Gomez could play a part but that would be from the bench.
It means a midfielder, probably Dominic Szoboszlai, will fill in at right-back.
Most likely, Slot will keep the team that started in the 4-1 win over Newcastle.
Liverpool expected line-up
(4-2-3-1) Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Wirtz, Salah, Gakpo; Ekitike.
Man City team news
City will give a late fitness test to Bernardo Silva, who missed the victory over Newcastle in midweek.
Ruben Dias returned to the squad for the first time in a month when starting from the bench in that game while Marc Guehi, who was ineligible, will return at centre-back.
City’s defensive options are starting to increase again with John Stones back in training although Sunday’s game will come too soon for the England man.
Omar Marmoush netted twice against Newcastle but the rested Erling Haaland will surely return as the focal point of City’s attack.
Man City expected line-up
(4-1-4-1) Donnarumma; Nunes, Ake, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rodri; Semenyo, Foden, Cherki, Reijnders; Haaland.
Liverpool v Man City stats
– Liverpool have lost just one of their last 22 Premier League home games against Manchester City (W14 D7), with that defeat coming the only time they hosted them as reigning champions (1-4 in February 2021).
– Following their 3-0 win at the Etihad in November, Manchester City are looking to complete their first league double over Liverpool since 1936-37, which was also the last time they won consecutive league games against them.
– Liverpool lost 3-0 in the reverse fixture against Manchester City – the last team to beat them twice to nil in the same Premier League campaign was West Ham United in 2015-16.
– Only Liverpool (9) and Manchester United (7) have won more away games against reigning Premier League champions than Manchester City (6), with the Citizens winning five of their last six visits (L1).
– From MD6 to MD12 this season, Liverpool lost more Premier League games than any other club (P7 W1 L6); since MD13, no side has lost fewer games than the Reds (P12 W5 D6 L1).
– Manchester City are the only Premier League side in 2026 so far who have not conceded a single goal in the first half of a match, scoring six times themselves. However, they are also the only side who haven’t scored a second half goal yet, conceding six goals.
– Man City’s Erling Haaland has failed to score in all three of his Premier League away games against Liverpool. Anfield is one of just two grounds he’s played at but not scored in the competition, along with Sunderland’s Stadium of Light (1 app).
Liverpool v Man City predictions
City swept aside Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad in November but there was nothing unique in that.
Pep Guardiola has won that fixture 5-0, 4-0 and 4-1 in his time as City boss but it’s been a completely different story at Anfield.
He has just one victory there and that came in the Covid-affected 2021 season without fans when everyone was winning at an echoey Anfield.
City are unreliable on the road this season so, all in all, Liverpool at 7/5 are the call.
However the best bet lies elsewhere.
This column has cashed in on Florian Wirtz’s surge in form, successfully tipping him at 7/2 to net against Newcastle.
The German is 9/2 to bag another goal here and that’s a massive price given that he’s now scored in five of his last six starts at Anfield.
City have shipped 15 goals on the road which is one more than struggling Crystal Palace.
Add in Europe and Pep’s side have conceded seven times in their last three road trips so those odds on Wirtz are way too big.
Given his flourishing relationship with in-form Hugo Ekitike, Wirtz is also worth a play at 9/2 to have over 0.5 assists.
