Man City vs Liverpool Odds and Preview: Must-Win Fixture for Pep Guardiola’s Side

• Manchester City welcomes the current title-holders and league-leaders Liverpool to the Etihad this Sunday
• Pep Guardiola’s side are off to a disappointing start, while the Reds have bounced back after a 7-2 defeat to Villa on Matchday four
• Get the full odds, preview, and best bet for this heavyweight clash below

In a Premier League Round 8 match that will have major implications in regards to the title race this term, Manchester City welcomes Liverpool to the Etihad on Sunday, November 8th, kick-off 11:30 AM EST.

Both sides are coming off convincing mid-week wins in Europe on Tuesday. City buried Olympiacos 3-0, while the Merseysiders took care of business in Italy against Atalanta, beating them 5-0.

Last time out in July, Man City ran riot on the Reds, beating them 4-0.

Manchester City vs Liverpool EPL Odds

All odds taken Nov 4 at DraftKings

Man City Seeking a Much-Needed Result

After losing the Premier League title by 18 points last term to Liverpool, City aren’t necessarily off to the best start as they look to return as Premier League champions. Although they went out and strengthened specific areas of their squad with the signings of defenders Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake, Pep Guardiola’s side is just 3-2-1 in their first six matches.

However as the season rolls on, their backline is slowly looking more and more reliable, conceding just three goals in their last seven outings across all competitions. They suffered a 5-2 defeat to Leicester in late September and have also tied Leeds and West Ham.

On a positive note though, the Premier League giants haven’t lost in six matches between domestic and European play. Since that defeat against the Foxes, they’ve picked up at least a point in each and every appearance in league play. Man City haven’t scored a whole lot this term so far, netting just nine times. Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden have two goals apiece, but Sergio Aguero has yet to find the back of the net since his return from knee surgery.

The stats behind two of the greatest teams in @premierleague history 🔥

What will the next chapter bring on Sunday?

🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5rehttps://t.co/lYtLusOS3J

— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 4, 2020

Their attack is always vibrant and exciting, but the end product has lacked to this point. If there was any time for them to start scoring more goals, it would be this weekend against a Liverpool squad who are without their best defender in Virgil van Dijk.

Reds Flying High

Jurgen Klopp’s men might be the slight underdogs in the sportsbooks for this weekend’s clash against City, but you better believe they’ll be oozing with confidence. Liverpool also hasn’t lost in six matches since their embarrassing defeat to Aston Villa in early October. Even without van Dijk, the Reds have looked extremely solid at the back, conceding just four goals during that span.

Although Mo Salah leads this side with seven Premier League goals, summer signing Diogo Jota has been the talk of the town at Anfield after his impressive hat-trick against Atalanta on Tuesday. The former Wolves star has already scored seven times for his new club, with six of those tallies coming in the last four games.

There’s talk that Jota could be selected ahead of Roberto Firmino for Sunday’s clash because of his torrid form, but it’s still unknown. Nonetheless, the Portuguese striker has been a wonderful addition to Klopp’s frontline, giving him more depth and versatility in the final third.

Team News

For the hosts, Gabriel Jesus will be available after making his return in goal-scoring fashion against Olympiacos on Tuesday. But, Benjamin Mendy, Aguero, and Fernandinho will all miss this vital clash due to muscle injuries.

Liverpool has a relatively healthy squad prior to their visit to Manchester. Midfielder maestro Thiago Alcantara is a doubt after missing their Champions League clash on Tuesday. Naby Keita and Joel Matip are ready to roll for this big fixture, but van Dijk, Alexander Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Fabinho will all be absent.

Manchester City vs Liverpool Stats

Best Bet

This should be a very clean, tactical match. These are the two most technically gifted sides in the Premier League who move the ball around extremely well. For City, this is a must-win fixture if they want to keep their title hopes alive.

It’s still early in the season, but the chances of Liverpool slipping up are unlikely. The hosts must grab three points here. With Guardiola’s squad knowing just how important this match is in terms of their fate this term, I believe they’re going to pull out a victory on home soil.

Pick: Manchester City -107