Manchester City are the only Premier League side not to have suffered defeat this season, and it’s easy to see why. It starts with striker supreme Erling Haaland, who is on track to score 63 Premier League goals this season, and that’s pretty much double the record for a 38 match season (32). And you have midfield maestro Kevin de Bruyne, who leads the Premier League in assists with nine.
Meanwhile goalkeeper Ederson has the most clean sheets (five) in the league. It all adds up to complete dominance, all around, as the headliner fixture of the weekend, at Liverpool, approaches.
Liverpool vs Manchester City FYIs
Kickoff: Sun Oct. 16, Anfield, 4:30pm
Team News: Liverpool Manchester City
Starting XI Predictions: Liverpool Manchester City
After Extra Time Podcast: Spotify Apple Podcasts
PL Form: Liverpool LDDWW Manchester City WWWDW
PL Standings: Liverpool 10th, 10pts Manchester City 2nd, 23pts
Google Result Probability: Manchester City 54%, Liverpool 24%, Draw 22%
Some City players are automatic selections, for any meaningful match. It starts up top with Phil Foden and Erling Haaland in attack. Hopefully for the sake of Jack Grealish In midfield, Kevin de Bruyne is undroppable, and Bernardo Silva isn’t too far from that status. And for this match, the injury situation in the back means that the defense picks itself- Joao Cancelo at right back, Nathan Ake at left back with Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias the at center back pairing.
Manchester City Starting XI Prediction at Liverpool FC
Ederson; Cancelo, Akanji, Dias, Ake; De Bruyne, Silva, Gundogan; Grealish, Foden, Haaland
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.