Florian Wirtz (Liverpool) and Rayan Cherki (Manchester City)
Liverpool host Manchester City at Anfield in a crucial match with a chance to secure a place in next season's Champions League. Manchester United's strong resurgence has pushed Liverpool out of the top five, a position they haven't experienced in many years.
Now, Liverpool are 5 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United and 4 points behind fifth-placed Chelsea, and the situation looks very dangerous if they don't mount a timely comeback to close the gap in the final stretch of the season.
And although Liverpool's slump at the start of the season ruined their chances of defending their title (from rounds 6 to 12, Liverpool lost more games than any other team - in 7 games, they won 1, lost 6), they have proven to be very difficult to beat since then.
In fact, since matchday 13, no team has lost fewer games than Liverpool (12 games, 5 wins, 6 draws, 1 loss). This shows that Liverpool have recovered their form and even their attack is back in top form.
Hugo Ekitiké has scored or assisted on average every 112 minutes of Premier League play this season (10 goals, 2 assists in 1,342 minutes), the best rate for a Liverpool player in their first season since Mohamed Salah's 2017-18 season (32 goals, 10 assists - an average of one assist every 70 minutes).
Ekitiké's brace against Newcastle brought his total to 10 goals; at 23 years and 225 days old, he became the youngest Liverpool player to reach the 10-goal milestone since Michael Owen in the 2000-01 season (21 years and 138 days).
Alongside Ekitiké, Wirtz is finally shining in the red shirt. Since December 20th, when he assisted Alexander Isak's goal against Tottenham, Wirtz has been involved in more goals than any other Premier League player across all competitions (9 goals - 6 goals, 3 assists).
Manager Arne Slot was still without key players like Joseph Gomez, Jeremie Frimpong, and Alexander Isak, but the absence of this trio did not significantly affect Liverpool's crushing victory over Newcastle last week.
Manchester City aim to close the nine-point gap with league leaders Arsenal after squandering a two-goal lead in their 2-2 draw with Tottenham. Midfielder Rayan Cherki is expected to recover, bolstering Manchester City's attack. Away from home, they average one point per game, scoring an average of one goal per game and conceding 1.4 goals.
Man City is the only team in the Premier League in 2026 to have not conceded a single goal in the first half, while scoring six goals themselves. This could lead to a comeback tonight from a team known for their dramatic comebacks, like Liverpool.
The truth is Liverpool have a penchant for comebacks: Since the start of last season, only three teams have gained more points than their 28 when trailing in the Premier League. Even in games where the opponent opened the scoring, only Brighton (42 goals) scored more goals than Liverpool (41).
Historically, this matchup has always been exciting, with 64% of games having over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring in 64% of those games. Liverpool have only lost one of their last 22 home Premier League matches against Manchester City.
However, following their 3-0 victory at the Etihad in November, Manchester City are aiming for a double win against Liverpool for the first time since the 1936-37 season, which was also the last time they won two consecutive Premier League matches against Liverpool. In fact, the last team to beat Liverpool two consecutive matches without conceding a goal in the same Premier League season was West Ham United in the 2015-16 season.
Finally, it's worth noting that Manchester City had to play their League Cup semi-final against Newcastle (which they won 3-1) on Thursday, while Liverpool had a week to prepare for this match. With physical play being a big gamble in the Premier League, a relaxed midweek will be an advantage for Liverpool.
Consulting experts, opinions vary. Former manager Harry Redknapp predicts a 1-2 defeat for Liverpool, while former BBC commentator Mark Lawrenson believes Liverpool will win 1-0. Former striker Chris Sutton predicts a 2-2 draw, but former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson forecasts a 3-1 victory, and Sky Sport commentator Knows Jones supports a 4-1 win for Liverpool.
The Liverpool vs. Manchester City match will take place at 11:30 PM (Vietnam time) today, February 8th.
Prediction: Liverpool - Manchester City 2-1
Direct confrontation
Liverpool have lost only one of their last 22 home Premier League matches against Manchester City (14 wins, 7 draws), with that defeat coming solely when they hosted Manchester City as the reigning champions (a 1-4 loss in February 2021).
09-11-2025 | Manchester City | Liverpool | 3-0 |
February 23, 2025 | Manchester City | Liverpool | 0-2 |
December 1, 2024 | Liverpool | Manchester City | 2-0 |
March 10, 2024 | Liverpool | Manchester City | 1-1 |
November 25, 2023 | Manchester City | Liverpool | 1-1 |
April 1, 2023 | Manchester City | Liverpool | 4-1 |
October 16, 2022 | Liverpool | Manchester City | 1-0 |
April 10, 2022 | Manchester City | Liverpool | 2-2 |
February 7, 2021 | Liverpool | Manchester City | 1-4 |
November 8, 2020 | Manchester City | Liverpool | 1-1 |
English Premier League | Asian Handicap | Over/Under | ||||||||||||
Gate | Handicap | Away | Over | Total | Under | |||||||||
08/2 23:30 | [6] Liverpool vs Manchester City [2] | 2.05 | 0 : 1/4 | 1,825 | 1,925 | 3 | 1.95 | |||||||
08/2 23:30 | [6] Liverpool vs Manchester City [2] | 2,075 | 0 : 1/4 | 1.80 | 1,925 | 3 | 1,925 |
08/2 23:30 | [6] Liverpool vs Manchester City [2] | 2.05 | 0 : 1/4 | 1,825 | 1.90 | 3 | 1,975 |
08/2 23:30 | [6] Liverpool vs Manchester City [2] | 2.05 | 0 : 1/4 | 1.85 | 1,875 | 3 | 2.00 |
The initial odds for the match were very close, with Liverpool giving Manchester City a handicap of only half a goal, and Manchester City paying the full amount, meaning Liverpool would win but only lose 82.
The odds are practically even. However, its balance has kept the market relatively stable over the past few days. This morning, the odds are still half, with Liverpool winning at full odds and losing at 85. It seems that choosing the home team is still safer.
The most popular scoreline remains a 1-1 draw with odds of 7.9 to 1, while a 2-2 draw pays 12, and a 0-0 draw pays as much as 20. Most players choose a narrow 2-1 victory for Liverpool with odds of 8.8 to 1, while 1-0 pays 12, and 2-0 and 3-1 pay up to 15. Manchester City's win also attracts many players, with odds of 10 to 1 for a 1-2 draw, 13 to 0-1 for a 0-2 draw, 17 to 0-2 for a 1-3 draw, and 19 to 1-3 for a 1-3 win.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/soi-ti-so-tran-liverpool-manchester-city-hoa-la-that-bai-196260208110435084.htm
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