Liverpool vs Man City prediction, tips and odds | Premier League

Set against the backdrop of the visitors being found guilty of breaching the division's spending rules, Liverpool will welcome Manchester City to Anfield on Sunday in a titanic Premier League clash. During the international break, an independent panel found City in breach of the majority of 115 charges levelled at them relating to financial regulations, and Sunday will be Enzo Maresca's side's first match since that verdict.

Maresca has insisted that the outside world should not judge City, but Liverpool and Anfield will be desperate to punish their first-placed opponents and close the gap between the sides to just three points. However, the hosts will be missing their two most dangerous forwards in Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo, and for those searching for the best new betting sites in the UK ahead of the weekend, City's 2.25 match-odds price reflects where the weight of opinion lands before kick-off.

Liverpool vs Manchester City form guide

Liverpool have not lost a Premier League game this season, though they have drawn three times from five top-flight matches, leaving Andoni Iraola's side in seventh with nine points, six points behind the first-placed visitors.

The more encouraging aspect of Liverpool's campaign is that their overall results have improved, with two wins and three consecutive clean sheets across their last three league games. Iraola's side were vulnerable throughout 2025-26, but they have recently developed a strong resilience at the back under the new head coach.

Isak's contribution of four goals in five appearances before his thigh injury makes the Sweden striker's absence the most significant individual loss of the season for Liverpool, though Gakpo could be just as big a miss on Sunday due to his surprisingly threatening performances of late.

Florian Wirtz has experienced mixed fortunes this term, and following his display against Bournemouth in matchweek five, criticism of his time at Liverpool reached a new high, especially from former Red Jamie Carragher.

Virgil van Dijk remains Liverpool's defensive anchor and captain, and his physical duels with Erling Haaland will be key; the defender is one of the few players the striker has consistently struggled against.

Manchester City have won each of their five Premier League games this season, accumulating 15 points from a possible 15 and producing a goal difference of plus eight.

Haaland has once again been at the top of his game, scoring five goals from five appearances in the league, including a brace against Crystal Palace away and the decisive goal at Manchester United in September's derby at Old Trafford.

Rayan Cherki has been a creative hub, though he has also contributed with three Premier League goals. Other such as Iliman Ndiaye and Antoine Semenyo have provided direct threat out wide, and the pair have given Maresca a range of attacking options.

Maresca has navigated five different opponents without defeat since succeeding Pep Guardiola in June and arrives at Anfield with his squad largely intact, making City a prominent fixture on virtually every best football betting site as Sunday's most-watched match of the weekend.

The results this season have also provided the strongest possible backdrop for Maresca to deflect the financial rules controversy, with the head coach reiterating that the most important thing for everyone at the club to focus on is to continue winning, whatever the off-pitch noise surrounding the team.

Team news: Liverpool vs Manchester City

Liverpool

Iraola confirmed at Friday's press conference that Isak and Gakpo will both miss the match. Isak is dealing with a supposedly minor thigh injury sustained on international duty with Sweden, while Gakpo picked up an ankle problem with the Netherlands.

Those absences arrive alongside the longer-term unavailability of Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni, while Federico Chiesa has yet to play a competitive minute this season and remains a doubt.

Jeremy Jacquet was confirmed fit by Iraola after being rested from France's final international match purely as a precaution, and he is expected to take his place at centre-back, while winger Bradley Barcola could be used as a number nine, flanked by Victor Munoz on the right and Rio Ngumoha on the left.

Manchester City

Phil Foden will serve the third and final match of a three-game ban at Anfield having been sent off in the Manchester derby on September 13 for violent conduct.

Semenyo withdrew from the Ghana squad during the international break with a swollen leg but trained individually, and Maresca suggested that he was a minor doubt, whereas Nico O'Reilly's involvement in training sessions has been affected by a minor issue.

Haaland's participation is not in doubt after Maresca was unequivocal on Friday that the striker recovered following an injury scare while playing for Norway. The City bench retains significant quality with Jeremy Doku available, though he has managed only 15 minutes of league football this season after his own injury spell. Those comparing the best UK free bets offers ahead of the weekend will find City's odds prominently featured across the market.

Head-to-head: Liverpool vs Manchester City

Across 197 competitive meetings between these two clubs, Liverpool hold the historical edge with 92 wins to Manchester City's 55, scoring 345 goals to City's 280. However, there have also been 50 draws, while the transformation of City into serial title contenders over the past 15 years mean the long-term numbers are not quite reflective of the recent trends between the two sides.

Manchester City have won three of the last five meetings across all competitions, with Liverpool winning the other two. City's wins in that time encompass a 3-0 league success at the Etihad in November 2025 and a 4-0 FA Cup victory in April 2026, games in which the Reds were dominated.

The most recent Premier League meeting at Anfield produced a 2-1 City win in February 2026, though Liverpool won 2-0 home and away in 2024-25, evidencing just how quickly power can shift in the north of England.

It should be noted that City have only won twice at Anfield in their last 26 visits, a period in which the Reds won 15 times.

Our Liverpool vs Manchester City prediction

NetBet price this match at Liverpool 3.00, the draw 3.60 and Manchester City 2.25 — see our NetBet bookie review for a full breakdown of their football markets, or check terms for new customers via our NetBet UK bonus code guide.

Odds correct as of Saturday, 10 October 2026, 15:00 BST.