Liverpool vs. Manchester City Prediction: Can Champions Stop the Rot

• Liverpool are the Premier League leaders ahead of this crunch clash on Sunday

• Manchester City are in desperate need of a win after a poor run of form

• This game has been the biggest in English soccer over the last few seasons

Liverpool vs. Manchester City Odds

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Liverpool vs. Manchester City Pick

Back Liverpool to beat Manchester City on Sunday. It is advisable to follow the form book for this game at Anfield.

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Liverpool Aiming to Continue Magnificent Start Under Slot

No one saw this coming. When Jurgen Klopp announced his impending departure from Liverpool at the beginning of this year, a period of flux was anticipated. Klopp had been at the club for nine years, building the team in his image during that time. It seemed certain that his successor would have to oversee a period of transition this season.

Or perhaps not. We are still relatively early in the campaign and the big prizes are never handed out in early December, but Liverpool could hardly be in a better position as we enter the final month of 2024. In the Premier League, they hold an eight-point lead over the chasing pack, still led by Manchester City.

Their form has been even better in Europe, where Liverpool are the only team in the Champions League to boast a 100 percent record after five rounds of fixtures. Their latest success was the best to date, as Liverpool ran out 2-0 winners against Real Madrid on Wednesday. They are now the favorites to lift the trophy, moving ahead of Manchester City in the betting markets.

In the shorter term, they have the chance to inflict what would probably be a fatal blow to City’s Premier League title chances. A win this weekend would move Liverpool 11 points in advance of the defending champions, who will be looking to avoid a fourth successive league defeat when they head to Anfield. It is hard to see how City could come back from such a deficit. 

The sportsbooks fancy Liverpool - for good reason. Slot’s side do not always blow their opponents away, with the manager preferring control to chaos. But Liverpool deserve to be at the top of both the Premier League and Champions League. Right now, they look like the best team in European soccer.

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Manchester City Are in Desperate Need of a Pick-Me-up

Pep Guardiola is in uncharted territory. One of the greatest managers of all time, he has seldom experienced a run of poor form quite like this. City have lost five and drawn one of their last six matches in all competitions. Even that draw felt like a defeat: in the Champions League earlier this week, City surrendered a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord.

That result was arguably the most damaging of the lot. A 3-0 victory would have helped City to regain a degree of confidence ahead of this tricky test against Liverpool, which is surely a must-win for Guardiola’s team.

Instead, their self-belief took a further dent as they allowed an average Feyenoord team back into the game in the final 16 minutes. Some of City’s defending on Tuesday would have left the Keystone Cops shaking their heads in embarrassment.

If you were searching for positives, you would point to the fact that City are still fashioning opportunities. Even in last weekend’s 4-0 shellacking by Tottenham Hotspur, they could easily have scored two or three goals. City still lead the Premier League for expected goals, a measure of chance creation, as well as for shots and shots on target.

Yet their finishing has been wayward, with even the prolific Erling Haaland guilty in that regard. More worrying is on the defensive side of the ball. Without Rodri in the center of the park, City’s opponents are cutting through them with ease. 

Remarkably, Guardiola’s side have given up more big chances than any other team in the Premier League since Rodri went off injured against Arsenal in the middle of September. That will worry the City boss ahead of a meeting with a Liverpool side that thrives in transition.

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Liverpool Can Compound Manchester City’s Woes at Anfield

Liverpool have the bit between their teeth right now, and their players will smell blood when Manchester City take to the field on Sunday. Slot has promoted a measured, controlled approach this season, but with the Anfield crowd behind his team the Dutchman may decide to let his players off the leash early on.

If Manchester City are to come out on top, they will need to keep things much tighter at the back. Their initial aim, though, will be to dominate possession in the opening exchanges in a bid to quieten down the Anfield crowd. 

They are capable of creating chances against Liverpool (last-placed Southampton scored twice against them last weekend), but they must ensure they are not wasteful with them. And although Haaland has not been great of late, other players must step up to shoulder some of the goalscoring burden.

Anyone who has watched City over the last few weeks knows that something is not right. On the other hand, everything is coming up good for Liverpool right now. Follow the form book on Sunday and back Slot’s side to inflict further pain on City in this titanic tussle between first and second in the Premier League.

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How to Watch Liverpool vs. Manchester City

• Teams: Liverpool vs. Manchester City

• Location: Anfield, Liverpool, England

• Date and Time: Sunday, 1 December  2024, 11.00 AM ET 

• How to Watch: USA Network