Welcome to April, and sports fans have a fantastic few weeks ahead. Saturday brings the curtain up in style for followers of the English Premier League as last season’s champions Manchester City takes on runners-up Liverpool. This isn’t the title decider it may have been in the last few years, but there’s plenty to play for. Man City needs the points to challenge for the title, while Liverpool aims to salvage a European finish.
The champions are currently sitting in second place, eight points off the pace set by Arsenal. Liverpool is further down the pecking order than their fans are used to, with the Reds sixth in the ladder, seven points off Tottenham, and a place in the top four. Qualifying for the Champions League again next season would be a strong finish following a woeful campaign, which remains the goal for Liverpool.
Saturday’s match will be the fourth time the pair have met this season, with Liverpool winning 3-1 in the Community Shield last summer. The Reds also won the first league game between the pair, but City edged an EFL Cup match by the odd goal in five. Having already seen ten goals scored in three games, armchair fans hope for another goal-fest.
Man City won’t quit
Manchester City sees their dreams of defending the title and winning three in a row fade every week. Following the final international break of the season, club football now dominates, and the EPL will be played to a conclusion. We are just weeks away from a champion being crowned, meaning Man City must act now. Anything less than an extended winning run between now and the finish line would allow Arsenal to collect the trophy almost unchallenged. The Gunners are firing, and Man City is the only team that can stop them and force a grandstand finish.
But will Pep Guardiola’s crew deliver? That remains to be seen, but fans can take confidence from their club’s recent good form, with the champions unbeaten in their last five, collecting 13 of the 15 points available. They have hardly put a foot wrong as we move towards better weather, but there has been one problem for Man City: Arsenal’s unrelenting form. The Londoners are on a winning streak, and not much has changed since the start of the campaign. City needs to keep winning games and hopes the Gunners drop points late.
We last saw the home team in action before the international break when boosting their tally by three points with a win over Crystal Palace in London. That match ended 1-0 with the winning goal scored by Haaland – who else – from the penalty spot on 78 minutes. Since downing the Eagles, City has hammered RB Leipzig 8-1 on aggregate, including a 7-0 win at the Etihad. The pride of English football then thrashed Burnley 6-0 in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
Reds continue to struggle
Last season’s success must seem like a distant memory to Liverpool fans. They were runners-up behind Man City in the Premier League and finished second to Real Madrid in the Champions League. The 2022/23 campaign was supposed to be when Liverpool went one better, dominating English and European football. But things haven’t gone to plan, with the club near midtable in the EPL and out of the Champions League. Blancos again beat them, the Spanish side winning 6-2 on aggregate following a strong showing at Anfield.
Liverpool enters the weekend sitting in sixth place in the league, with their stats doing little to inspire confidence. They travel to the home of the current champions with their CV detailing a dozen wins, six draws, and eight defeats with 47 goals scored and 29 conceded. The number of defeats on their card is concerning for all connected to the Anfield club, but Klopp’s team is renowned for turning things in their favour, especially late in the season. Can we expect another big finish?
Liverpool journeyed on the back of an inconsistent run of form with three wins, a draw, and a single defeat. They were last seen losing 1-0 in Madrid to exit the Champions League, with their most recent league start ending in a loss. Liverpool suffered a shock 1-0 reverse away to Bournemouth, and that was yet another body blow for their chances of making it into the top four. The Cherries are a capable team, but that’s a fixture Liverpool was expected to win by a comfortable margin.
Man City v Liverpool prediction
One team is pushing hard to win the title and make it three years on the bounce. They also hold the home advantage and will be cheered on by their fans. Man City seems to hold all the aces ahead of this mouth-watering clash, and they are the pundits’ pick to add another three points to their tally, staying on the coattails of Arsenal.
Liverpool is good enough to defeat Man City at the Etihad on their day. But the problem is their day doesn’t come around too often. The Reds have been unable to piece together a run of wins and any form that will worry those in the top four. They have shown little in recent weeks to suggest they are about to explode onto the scene and grab a place in the Champions League next term.
Premier League odds
The pre-match betting odds available to 22Bet members offers a Man City win at 1.57, with Liverpool trading at 5.55 and the draw 4.22.
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