Manchester City-Liverpool: the real turning point for the title?
by Cydias Aujard | by Cydias Aujard
Manchester City vs Liverpool: the background to the clash
Manchester City are no longer in the title race this season, as our Premier League preview confirms. Having just been knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid in the play-offs, the Sky Blues no longer have any major objectives for the end of the season. While the FA Cup remains the only trophy that Guardiola and his men can potentially lift at the end of the 2024-2025 season, not to mention the Club World Cup, it is above all a place in the top four that must be secured.
To see Man City relegated to the Europa or Conference League, or even worse, to no European competition at all, would be a disaster next year. With a squad packed with stars and one of the highest wage bills in the world, such a failure would certainly cause a stir in the Saudi Arabian offices of the club's owners.
There are currently 17 points separating Liverpool and Manchester City in the standings.
Liverpol, for their part, are looking forward to an historic season. Having qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League and the Carabao Cup final, and in the running to win their 20th English league title (leaders ahead of Arsenal by 8 points going into matchday 26), the Mersey club are having a much better season than their future opponents!
While everything is far from perfect, with the FA Cup defeat partly due to the B team they fielded and the few points they have dropped in the PL in recent weeks, the overall result remains very impressive. The context for this match is therefore very simple: a moribund Manchester City, who have just taken another big blow to the head, welcome a Liverpool side who are almost in a state of grace this season, and who are hoping to make a little more headway towards the title.
Manchester City - Liverpool preview
Liverpool's end-of-season Premier League schedule
After this clash with Man City, Liverpool still have 11 league games to play, a total of 33 points up for grabs. Here they are:
- Liverpool - Newcastle
- Liverpool - Southampton
- Liverpool - Everton
- Fulham - Liverpool
- Liverpool - West Ham
- Leicester - Liverpool
- Liverpool - Tottenham
- Chelsea - Liverpool
- Liverpool - Arsenal
- Brighton - Liverpool
- Liverpool - Crystal Palace
On paper, the current Premier League leaders have an affordable fixture list. However, Arne Slot's men will have an important period to deal with at the end of April/beginning of May, with three big games against Tottenham, Chelsea and... Arsenal. A clash on matchday 36 could well prove to be of vital importance if the Gunners have closed the points gap by then.
Manchester City - Liverpool preview
A duel of strikers
This clash also features a match within a match. Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland are the Premier League's top two scorers. With 24 goals for the Egyptian and 19 for the Norwegian, anything is still possible at the end of the season, given the exceptional things these two players are capable of. For tomorrow, in any case, it is Liverpool's No11 who is the favourite to hit the back of the net, according to our Manchester City - Liverpool preview.
With 15 more assists to his name (only 3 for Haaland, who remains a pure striker and not a winger), Mohamed Salah is having an exceptional season, probably his best in terms of statistics. He looks well on his way to surpassing his Premier League single-season goalscoring record (32 in 2017/2018 in his first season with the Reds), and for the time being remains the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or 2025.
- Key facts about City v Liverpool
- TV broadcast: Canal +
- Time: 17:30 (Sunday 23 February 2025)
- Stadium: Etihad Stadium (Manchester, England)
- Referee : Anthony Taylor (English)
- Live commentary: Live Manchester City - Liverpool
Manchester City vs Liverpool: our thoughts on the match's impact on the end of the season
This is certainly not THE title match for Liverpool, who will have to make sure of the title even if they win at the Etihad. With 33 points still up for grabs in the last few Premier League games, nothing can be taken for granted in a league as competitive as the Premier League.
However, this clash could be like a transfer of power between a depleted Manchester City, who have just won the last 4 English league titles, and the Reds, who are looking to make history by joining eternal rivals Manchester United among the most successful teams in Premier League history.
Liverpool are indeed in the hunt for their 20th English title, and the competition looks far less stiff this year than in previous years. Faced with a depleted Arsenal side (whose two goalscorers, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, are out for a number of weeks) and who have lost too many feathers over the last two seasons during their battles with the Citizens, Ibrahima Konaté's team-mates should, in our opinion, finish as champions, regardless of tomorrow's result.
