Manchester City vs Liverpool prediction: Haaland to star as hosts lay down title marker

Read the latest odds and tips as Arne Slot’s champions travel east to face Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City

(REUTERS)

Manchester City vs Liverpool betting tips

• Man City to win, both teams to score - 2/1 Ladbrokes
• Erling Haaland to score first - 10/3 Bet365

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Premier League champions Liverpool travel to the Etihad to face Manchester City in the Premier League on Super Sunday, with both sides hoping for the win that could establish themselves as a main title challenger in 2025/26.

Both clubs have shown mixed form to start the season and despite some superb wins there have also been some disappointing losses, with Liverpool having been on a four-game losing run in the league until recently and City having suffered surprise defeats to Aston Villa and Brighton.

These results mean both sides have drifted in the early Premier League title odds, with City and Liverpool now trailing Arsenal, who are odds-on favourites for the crown.

Liverpool’s odds may seem long considering they are defending champions - and are only seven points behind Arsenal in third – and while they did lose six out of seven games recently, they look to have turned a corner after convincing wins over Villa and Real Madrid in the last week.

However, clearly City appear the more likely to mount a sustained challenge this season, and this match will test whether Liverpool really have turned a corner.

City welcome the Reds having lost just once in their last 10 matches, and while the loss to Villa showed they can be weaker away from home, they have lost just once at the Etihad all season.

And these recent performances and City’s superb home form are reflected in the early Premier League odds too, with betting sites pricing the hosts as favourites versus a large price for a Liverpool win.

Manchester City vs Liverpool prediction: Hosts to lay down title marker

Liverpool’s recent struggles have been well-documented but wins over Real Madrid and Aston Villa suggest the Reds may be turning a corner, though the nature of their defensive frailties explains why City are such heavy favourites for this one.

Arne Slot does not seem to have gelled his new-look side completely, and while Pep Guardiola has made huge changes of his own this season, City do seem more settled than their rivals, with more dimensions in attack to punish any Liverpool mistakes.

In addition, the Reds’ attack has not quite clicked either, and while they do tend to score goals in almost all of their matches, they are not yet at the same level as last season, even if they should be able to punish City’s own defensive vulnerabilities.

City have won four and lost one of their last five matches and have only lost one of their last 10 in that defeat away to Villa, and they have scored 12 times and conceded four over those last five.

Liverpool have won three and lost two of their last five, scoring 10 times and conceding seven, so considering the firepower and defensive frailties that both sides possess, we don’t think a clean sheet is on the cards for either side.

Moreover, while a dominant Reds side won both fixtures 2-0 last season, that was against an uncharacteristically bad City side, and this fixture had seen just two clean sheets in the previous 15 matches before last season.

Football betting sites clearly believe both teams will score on Sunday, having priced that alone at 4/9, but with City at home and in superb form having lost just once in their last 10, we think a wager on City to win and both teams to score makes sense.

Manchester City vs Liverpool prediction 1: Man City to win, both teams to score - 2/1 Ladbrokes

Manchester City vs Liverpool betting tip: Haaland to open scoring

Erling Haaland remains the Premier League’s most in-form player at the moment, having scored 13 goals in 10 matches so far to take his tally across all competitions to 18 goals in 14 games for City.

Haaland is the runaway favourite in the Premier League top scorer odds, and it’s hard to see any player catching him in the race for the Golden Boot.

The Norwegian has also been in fine form for his country and it seems that almost nobody can stop him scoring at the moment, with only Tottenham and Aston Villa doing so so far this term.

While he drew a blank against Villa he still has 11 goals in his last eight league matches and 16 across his last 12 games in all competitions, so you certainly wouldn’t bet against him scoring this weekend, even if he only has two goals to his name against Liverpool so far in his City career.

While a wager on Haaland to score at 8/11 might not be the best value, a wager on the Norwegian to open the scoring is an interesting one. Haaland has opened the scoring in six of his 10 Premier League matches this season, and that becomes six of eight wins if you factor in that City didn’t score at all in two of those matches.

If you believe City will win then it’s more than likely that Haaland will get on the scoresheet in some shape or form, so perhaps betting on the 25-year-old to score first will prove better value on betting apps.

Manchester City vs Liverpool prediction 2: Erling Haaland to score first - 10/3 Bet365

Manchester City vs Liverpool team news

Manchester City vs Liverpool predicted line-ups

Manchester City vs Liverpool betting offers

talkSPORT BET are running a 30/1 enhanced odds betting sign up offer for Erling Haaland to score anytime for Manchester City against Liverpool on Sunday.

To claim the free bet offer, new customers must click the link below before creating an account with talkSPORT BET.

After that, customers must deposit at least £5 and bet a maximum £1 stake on Erling Haaland to score anytime at the normal price before kick-off 4.30pm on Sunday.

If Haaland scores, you’ll receive a payout at the normal price while the rest of the 30/1 odds will be made up with free bets to use on the sportsbook. Free bets are active for seven days.

Responsible gambling

When having a bet, it’s vital to practice responsible gambling.

Betting can be addictive and it’s important to stay in control of your betting. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop.

Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help them stay in control.

But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.

• NHS Help
• GambleAware
• Gamblers Anonymous

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