Manchester City vs Liverpool Prediction: The hosts can cause their opponents many problems

In the match of the 26th round of the English championship, Manchester City, at the home arena, takes the title of Liverpool. The game at the Etihad Stadium starts on 23 February at 19:30. Will Pep Guardiola's side be able to redeem themselves in front of their fans and end their winless streak in the head-to-head meetings?

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola's side has already played five games in February; a hectic schedule and personnel problems have made it difficult for the Citizens. The city lost three and won two at that time. In the FA Cup, the Mancunians were not without problems on the road, upsetting a modest Leyton Orient 2-1 to reach the last 16.

In the Champions League, Manchester City faced one of the most formidable opponents, Real Madrid. Guardiola's side led twice in the first leg at home but eventually lost 3-2. The return leg in Madrid was a 3-1 defeat, with a prestige goal scored in extra time.

In the English Premier League, Guardiola's side was away at Arsenal and home to Newcastle United. Both games ended with a four-goal difference. In London, the reigning champions suffered a crushing 5-1 defeat, while at the Etihad, they scored four unanswered goals against Newcastle. Before starting the 26th round of the APL in the asset of the Citizens 44 points, the club is located on the fourth line.

Liverpool

Liverpool had a great run in the Champions League group stage, winning all their matches until the eighth round. In the final game, Arne Slot's team took on a half-strength PSV side on the road and went down 3-2. The Merseyside outfit booked their place in the round 16 final and avoided the knockout stages.

In the FA Cup, Liverpool were paired with Plymouth in the fourth round. The Merseysiders caused the biggest sensation of this stage of the competition, as they failed to find the back of the net and went down 1-0. Now Liverpool have no chance of completing a treble at the end of the season.

With the FA Cup out of the way, Slot's side managed to play three games in the APL. The postponed 15th-round clash with Everton resulted in a productive 2-2 draw, with the Reds failing to hold their nerve in defense and missing extra time. The game against Wolverhampton then came down to the wire, but this time, the club held on for a 2-1 win. In this mid-table position, Liverpool held the 29th-round match against Aston Villa, and a 2-2 draw was recorded in Birmingham. Liverpool remain at the top of the standings with 61 points.

H2H Stats

In the first round of the current Premier League season, Liverpool hosted Manchester City at Anfield. Arne Slot's side took the lead at the start of the game: Cody Gakpo opened the scoring from Mohamed Salah's pass. In the second half, the Egyptian scored the second goal as Salah scored in the dying minutes to seal a 2-0 victory for Liverpool.

Expert Betting Tips

The main problem for Manchester City is still Rhodri's injury. Holland and Stones are doubtful, with the latter injured against Real Madrid midweek, while the Norwegian spent the entire game on the bench. Expect Guardiola to rest his leading marksman in the starting line-up. On the other hand, Arne Slot is unlikely to be able to count on Gakpo, who was instrumental in Liverpool's first-leg win over Milan.

Manchester City will be looking to salvage their season after their Champions League exit, while Liverpool will be coming into the game on a bit of a low note. We expect the game to be as challenging as possible for the Merseysiders, while the hosts can cause their opponents many problems and at least not lose.