It’s the biggest game of the year in the Premier League- Liverpool at Manchester City! Lately, it’s been a one-sided series, vastly in favor of the visitors. City have won just one of their last 11 meetings with Liverpool across all competitions (seven losses and three draws), but that single win was indeed an emphatic one.
The Sky Blues walloped Liverpool 5-0 at home in Premier League play last season. Also, City has not lost back to back home games since early 2016, since before Pep Guardiola was manager. Thus, you can understand why the Cityzens are favored in this one.
In looking at who Guardiola may select for his first team on Thursday night, John Stones is expected to start in the spine of City’s defense while Aymeric Laporte or Danilo could be the first choice left back in place of the suspended Fabian Delph.
We’re not feeling Oleksandr Zinchenko in our selection after the bad game he had against the Southampton. Also, we did pick Kyle Walker, despite the poor form he has shown lately. The rest is pretty straight-forward.
The Bank’s Manchester City Starting XI (4-3-3) Prediction vs Liverpool
Forwards: Leroy Sane, Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling
Midfielders: David Silva, Fernandinho, Bernando Silva
Defenders: Danilo Aymeric Laporte John Stones Kyle Walker
Goalkeeper: Ederson
Liverpool at Manchester City FYIs
Kick-off: 8:00 pm (BST), 3:00 pm (EST) Thursday January 3, City of Manchester Stadium
Google Result Probability: Manchester City win- 47%, Draw 26%, Liverpool win- 27%
Odds via Bet365: Manchester City 21/20, draw 29/10, Liverpool 5/2
Recent form: Liverpool- WWWWWW Manchester City- WLWLLW
Manager Press Conference Videos and Quotes: coming tomorrow
Liverpool Starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Injury report for both teams: go to this link
Prediction: City 2, Liverpool 2
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.