THE Premier League returns from the international break with a bang as Manchester City host Liverpool in a clash of the titans that could have a big impact on the destination of the title.
At the start of the season, most people would have had this fixture down as a potential title decider with City and Liverpool slugging it out at the top for most of the last five years.
But it's only Pep Guardiola's men who have a chance of claiming the crown this term as they try to keep pace with surprise leaders Arsenal. And with the Gunners in such good form, City might need to be pretty much perfect in the run-in if they want to stay as champions.
They were in awesome form before the break, with 7-0 and 6-0 wins over Leipzig and Burnley making it six consecutive victories in all competitions. If Man City can keep turning in those kind of performances, you would fancy their chances of toppling Arsenal.
However, Liverpool would relish delivering what could be a potentially fatal blow to their rivals and the Reds also have plenty to play for as they bid to claim a Champions League slot.
Having come so close to a Quadruple last term, Jurgen Klopp's side will finish this season empty handed but their campaign can still finish on a positive note if they manage to finish in the top four.
A shock 1-0 loss to Bournemouth before the international break, which ruined bets for Slips Tips and countless other punters, left Liverpool in sixth place, seven points behind Tottenham.
But they have two games in hand on Spurs and showed in the 7-0 destruction of Manchester United that they remain one of Europe's best teams on their day.
How the bookies view it
It says everything about Liverpool's decline this season that they are 5/1 outsiders with QuinnBet for an Etihad win. Manchester City's price is short at a best 8/13 with SpreadEx while the draw pays 7/2 at VBet,
Recent head to head
Despite having a poor season, Liverpool have still won two of their three clashes with Manchester City so far. A 3-1 triumph in the Community Shield was followed by a 1-0 victory at Anfield but City then won 3-2 at the Etihad in the Carabao Cup.
Players to watch
Star striker Erling Haaland is a fitness doubt for Manchester City and England winger Phil Foden is definitely out so Guardiola may not have many options in attack. I'd expect Riyad Mahrez to start in Foden's absence and the winger is 12/5 with Bet365 for anytime scorer and Unibet price him at 11/10 to have over 2.5 shots in the match.
Mo Salah helped bring up a full house of tips for me when he scored in the 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United. His record against the blue half of Manchester isn't quite as impressive as his record against United but Salah has still scored in all three meetings this season. He's 10/3 at William Hill to keep that run going here and that looks overpriced.
Anything else catch the eye?
Sparks usually fly when these sides face off, with BTTS and over 2.5 goals landing in seven of the last eight meetings. That's why backing both teams to score here pays just 3/4 at Unibet while over 2.5 strikes is even shorter at a best 16/25 with BetUK. A shrewder bet might be over 1.5 first-half goals at 6/4 with Paddy Power, which has landed in three of the last five meetings.
Clashes between these sides at the Etihad haven't been producing a lot of corners, with an average of just five across the last five clashes in Manchester. Under 9.5 corners pays a decent 22/25 at Unibet and the odds increase to 7/5 for under 8.5 corners.
Liverpool's high defensive line often leads to a lot of offsides and Unibet price over 4.5 match offsides at 27/25, with over 2.5 City offsides a tempting 7/5. Jack Grealish has become a more influential player for City in recent months and the same firm price him at 21/20 just to have a shot on target.
This English Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool will be played on Apr 1, 2023 and kick off at 12:30. Check below for our tipsters best Manchester City vs Liverpool prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
