Manchester City vs Liverpool Prediction & Betting Tips - Premier League

Prediction published on 07/04/2022, 08:19  by Daniel Ngulu | Modified on 07/04/2022 at 08:25 in Premier League Predictions

The most awaited game in the Premier League is here; top-of-the-table Manchester City plays host to second placed Liverpool in a game that will play a big part in shaping the title race. These two giants are separated by just one point; City leading with 73 points and Liverpool second on 72 but that’s not the only tight stat going into this game. These two are the league’s leading scorers, Liverpool being the best on 77 goals while City have scored seven lesser. On the flipside, City have the best defence in the league, having conceded 18 goals and Liverpool are second, after conceding 20. City carry to the game a run of three straight wins, the most recent a hard fought 1-0 victory over Spanish champions Atletico Madrid. That was just the first of four tough fixtures ahead, where they will face Liverpool twice, sandwiching their return leg against Atletico. All these come in the space of 11 days, making it a crucial period for City. Pep Guardiola tweaked his defence and attack against Atletico but it is unlikely he will do the same against Liverpool. Kyle Walker is back after suspension and should solve the defensive issues Pep may have had against Atletico; he will also be key in dealing with Mo Salah’s speed. Phil Foden should be back in the starting team after a stellar show in midweek when introduced in the second half. Most of all, City will at best hope to extend an unbeaten run that currently stands at eight games. With seven clean sheets in the last 10 matches, the motivation is also right ahead of this key game.

Liverpool have come a long way to narrow this gap to one point, they’ve been helped by City’s loss to Tottenham Hotspur and the draws with Crystal Palace and Southampton. As City dropped points, Liverpool went on a 10-game winning run in the league. That has been very key in the title race which is now basically a two-horse race. The Reds are coming from a well-deserved 3-1 win away to Benfica in the Champions League. That was their fifth straight win and the goal conceded there was the first in five matches; they kept four clean sheets in the earlier games. These two sides served a blockbuster 2-2 draw at Anfield in the first league meeting this season, and while they have three listed meetings this season, there could be more, with both still in the Champions League. Liverpool are on a quest for a quadruple and a win in this game will be quite crucial in that respect. Naby Keita’s availability is the key boost for Liverpool; he started in the Benfica win and will definitely be in consideration here. Liverpool, just like City, also have tough matches coming up, and are going through a key period. They have Benfica at home in between two meetings with City then Manchester United and a Merseyside Derby, against Everton, are on the horizon. Compared to City’s schedule though, the Reds have an easier run ahead, but for now, they’ll worry about deposing the champions.