Liverpool lost three times to Pep Guardiola’s side last season, but they are determined to take all three points at Anfield on 11 October. 1xBet.ie breaks down what to expect from the standout fixture of Premier League Matchweek 6.
Manchester City: Haaland keeps scoring, but problems remain
City won their opening five league matches and sit on top of the table. However, Enzo Maresca’s side showed that a perfect record does not necessarily mean flawless performance. The Citizens beat Sunderland 5-3 at home but allowed their opponents to create plenty of dangerous chances. Such defensive generosity could prove costly at Anfield.
The decision by an independent Premier League commission to find City guilty of breaching financial regulations does not lift spirits either. The club has already appealed, but it remains difficult to predict how the situation will affect the dressing-room atmosphere.
One area where the Citizens have no problems is attack. Erling Haaland has already scored seven goals in seven appearances across all competitions this season. What’s more, by finding the net against Sunderland, the Norwegian completed an impressive record of scoring against all 25 teams he faced in the Premier League. Antoine Semenyo could also cause a headache for Liverpool’s defence, having bagged a brace and provided an assist in the previous fixture.
Maresca knows exactly what to expect from another encounter with Andoni Iraola. He has faced the Spaniard more often than any other manager, and the record is firmly in his favour: two wins and three draws in five meetings.
Liverpool remain unbeaten but keep dropping points
The Reds are unbeaten in seven matches under Andoni Iraola, but three draws in their opening five league clashes have kept them from climbing higher than sixth in the table.
However, Liverpool have been flawless defensively in their last three league matches, keeping a clean sheet in each. Alexander Isak’s goalscoring form is another reason for optimism. The Swede has already netted four goals in five Premier League appearances, surpassing his previous season’s tally, when he scored just three in 14 matches.
Still, both Isak and Cody Gakpo returned from international duty with injuries, leaving their availability for the match against the league leaders in doubt. If neither player recovers in time, Iraola will have to find new attacking solutions ahead of the season’s toughest fixtures.
Who to win?
Last season, City won all three head-to-head meetings: 3-0, 2-1, and 4-0. Despite the heavy defeats away and in the FA Cup, Liverpool’s most painful loss came at Anfield. After Dominik Szoboszlai found the net, the Citizens responded with an 84th-minute equaliser from Bernardo Silva before Haaland converted the winning penalty in the 93rd minute.
Meanwhile, Anfield’s home advantage favours Liverpool. Throughout Premier League history, City have won at this stadium just three times. Moreover, this is an ideal opportunity for the Reds to turn their league campaign around: a win would cut the gap to the leaders to three points, while a defeat would leave Iraola’s side nine points behind.
In any case, there’s no clear favourite in this fixture, as reflected in the 1xBet.ie odds:
- Liverpool to win – 2,64;
- Draw – 3,82;
- Manchester City to win – 2,67.
Whatever the result, one thing is certain: football fans are in for a thrilling contest. A special offer on the official website and in the 1xBet.ie application can make watching the clash even more exciting. New customers can activate the promo code 1XWIN26 and receive a 48 EUR bonus for a bet of at least 10 EUR.
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