Backed by the red half of Merseyside—and cheered on indirectly by the red half of North London—Liverpool welcome fellow Premier League heavyweights Manchester City to Anfield for Sunday’s blockbuster clash.

The hosts enter Gameweek 25 four places and eight points behind Pep Guardiola’s side in the Premier League table. However, both teams share an identical record across their last six league matches: one defeat, four draws and just one victory.

Match Preview

The sixth attempt finally proved successful for Liverpool in the Premier League in 2026. After four consecutive draws and a damaging defeat to Bournemouth at the start of the new year, Arne Slot’s men emphatically returned to winning ways with a 4–1 demolition of Newcastle United.

Newcastle arrived at Anfield fresh from holding Paris Saint-Germain to a 1–1 draw in the Champions League, but their defensive resilience failed to travel. Despite falling behind to an early Anthony Gordon strike, goals inspired by Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz powered Liverpool to a dominant comeback win.

Renowned for their resilience during Jurgen Klopp’s final campaign, Liverpool have continued to show their fighting spirit under Slot. Since the start of the 2024–25 season, the Reds have collected 28 Premier League points from losing positions—the fourth-highest total in the division.

Goals have also flowed freely of late. Liverpool have scored 15 goals in their last four matches, including six against Qarabag, three versus Marseille in the Champions League, and two against Bournemouth.

Despite the resurgence, a top-five finish remains out of Liverpool’s hands. They begin the weekend two points behind Manchester United and one adrift of Chelsea, while Brentford and Sunderland remain within striking distance should results go against them.

Manchester City Form

For the second consecutive week, Arsenal supporters will be tuning in with vested interest as City continue to stumble. Guardiola’s side saw their title hopes dented again in a dramatic 2–2 draw away to Tottenham Hotspur.

City appeared in control after goals from Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo, but a brace from former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke punished second-half complacency.

That result means City have dropped points in five of their last six Premier League matches, leaving them six points behind league leaders Arsenal. The Gunners, despite inconsistency, returned to form last weekend with a 4–0 win over Leeds United.

With Arsenal facing Sunderland this weekend, City could find themselves nine points adrift before kickoff. Their away form offers little reassurance either, having failed to win any of their last three league games on the road while conceding at least twice in each.

However, City responded positively in midweek, beating Newcastle 3–1 in the EFL Cup semi-final second leg to book a Wembley showdown with Arsenal. Their 3–0 victory over Liverpool in November also leaves them 90 minutes away from completing a first-ever Premier League double over the Reds.

Team News

Liverpool boss Arne Slot delivered mixed fitness news in his pre-match press conference. Joe Gomez has an outside chance of returning from a hip injury, but Jeremie Frimpong (thigh) remains sidelined. Conor Bradley (knee), Alexander Isak (leg) and Giovanni Leoni (knee) are also unavailable.

Slot is expected to stick with the formula that dismantled Newcastle. Florian Wirtz, who recorded a goal and an assist in that win, now boasts nine direct goal involvements in his last 11 Premier League matches—more than any other player over that period.

Manchester City, meanwhile, face several selection concerns. Guardiola remains unsure about Bernardo Silva’s availability after the midfielder picked up a knock against Spurs. Rayan Cherki returned from injury to feature off the bench in midweek, while Ruben Dias also made his comeback after a month out with a hamstring issue.

John Stones has resumed training but is not yet ready for competitive action, alongside Josko Gvardiol (calf), Mateo Kovacic (ankle), Jeremy Doku (calf) and Savinho (thigh). Marc Guehi returns after EFL Cup ineligibility, while Guardiola refused to confirm whether Erling Haaland would start, describing the Norwegian simply as “the best striker in the world.”

Possible Lineups

Liverpool:
Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike

Manchester City:
Donnarumma; Nunes, Guehi, Ake, Ait-Nouri; Rodri, O’Reilly; Cherki, Reijnders, Semenyo; Haaland

Prediction: Liverpool Win

Liverpool may still be inconsistent, but they are a far sharper and more confident side than the team dismantled at the Etihad earlier in the season. With City struggling away from home, battling injuries, and facing midweek fatigue, the Reds have an opportunity to land a decisive blow to Guardiola’s title ambitions.

With Mohamed Salah back to his best, Wirtz in scintillating form and Ekitike thriving in attack, Slot’s side should have enough firepower to edge what promises to be a thrilling Anfield spectacle.