Liverpool v Man City best bets: More Anfield misery for vulnerable visitors?

Andy Schooler previews Sunday’s hugely anticipated Premier League showdown between Liverpool and Manchester City, with his best bet and three additional betting tips for the Anfield encounter.

Liverpool v Manchester City
Date/Time: Sunday, October 11, 16:30 BST
TV: Sky Sports Premier League & Main Event

The scriptwriters have done it again.

You simply could not have picked a better game, at least for the neutral, for Manchester City to have as their first after being found guilty of breaking the Premier League’s financial rules.

Liverpool were the club to suffer most during City’s era of mis-spending – maybe I should point out at this stage they continue to deny any wrongdoing and are appealing the verdict – and I’m sure the Anfield fans will make their (angry) feelings well known on Sunday.

Enzo Maresca flat-batted a lot of awkward questions at Friday’s press conference but he’s living in cloud cuckoo land if he thinks the guilty verdict isn’t going to make things a lot tougher for his side for the next however many months, especially on the road.

He’ll doubtless try to create a siege mentality but it would surely not be a surprise were a few of his squad to feel they’ve been let down by the club.

In terms of this game, it is one which would have been tough anyway for the leaders – City have won on just two of their last 25 visits to Anfield and one of those was the crazy COVID season when behind-closed-doors games saw away wins more common than home ones.

Liverpool v Man City: Last 25 meetings at Anfield

It should also be pointed out that while City have won five out of five thus far, they have looked defensively vulnerable. Sunderland notched three against them last time out, Coventry created some good chances, while a late comeback was needed to avoid defeat against Bournemouth.

The stat that best proves this point is that City have conceded 16 ‘big chances’ and only Sunderland have a higher such figure.

The good news for them is that Erling Haaland looks set to be fit – at least according to the cagey Maresca – although doubts remain over Antoine Semenyo and Nico O’Reilly.

Amid all the City noise, it’s easy to forget that Liverpool are actually unbeaten so far.

It’s not been the ideal start for Andoni Iraola but his side have proved tough to beat and have kept three successive clean sheets in the league. Jeremy Jacquet has slotted in well alongside Virgil van Dijk and he’s expected to be fit for this one.

The Reds haven’t truly clicked going forward and the absence through injury for this one of Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo isn’t helping.

Andy Schooler’s Liverpool v Man City NAP: Liverpool draw no bet

That does temper my enthusiasm about the hosts, who are the outsiders in the betting and look a tad big.

While I’m still happy with my initial assessment that this is a very awkward game for the visitors given all the circumstances, I do want a safety net so it’s to the draw-no-bet market I’m heading where Liverpool are offered at 1.9.

In terms of how the game will pan out, I’d expect a fast start from the hosts as they look to use the red-hot atmosphere to their advantage.

We saw this often in big games under both Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot and it makes full sense for them to try to replicate that approach here.

Liverpool to score in the first half is a 1.84 shot, to score first 1.9 and win the first half 2.9. All are worthy of consideration.

It’s also not difficult to see this being a fiery encounter and a look back at recent matches between the two shows a high card count. All three contests last season produced at least six cards.

That’s a 2.3 chance here with over 4.5 cards at 1.66. Frankly, those feel short enough.

In terms of player cards, Enzo Fernandez has the sort of temper that could be tested here and he’s been booked in three of his previous eight meetings with Liverpool. However, again the price of 2.55 doesn’t really appeal.

More Premier League betting tips: Read Andy Schooler’s other Premier League picks for this weekend, covering Ipswich v Fulham, Aston Villa v Brentford and Coventry v Newcastle.

Liverpool v Man City betting tips at a glance

Odds correct at the time of writing and subject to change.

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