Liverpool vs Man City - Betting Tips & Predictions.

Anfield 08 February - 16:30

Liverpool

Manchester City

Recommended tip Win for Liverpool

1: 2.28 X: 3.65 2: 2.78

1: 2.30 X: 3.60 2: 2.75

1: 2.39 X: 3.80 2: 2.85

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There’s nothing like a meeting between Liverpool and Man City at Anfield to get the pulses racing. Come Sunday 8 February the home crowd will be primed and the visiting stars itching to prove a point. This fixture matters — for momentum, bragging rights and, crucially this season, Premier League positioning.

The Reds have shown fight of late while City remain a constant threat; form, fitness and tactical tweaks will decide the outcome. With European ambition and title pressure dogging both camps, expect a fiery 90 minutes rather than a cautious chess match. Our predictions and tips will look at the odds, H2H and match-up details to get you ready for a proper spectacle.

We’ll run through the betting market, take a glance at the head to head history and project starting XIs — plus explain why BTTS looks a tempting shout. If you’re shopping lines, check our football betting sites for markets and best value before you stake.

Odds and Predictions

The bookies have priced this as a tight affair: home odds around 13/10 (2.30), the draw 27/10 (3.70) and City about 7/4 (2.75). Those odds suggest a slight lean towards a Liverpool win but, as ever with these two, margins are wafer-thin. The market is clearly expecting goals — and that’s reflected in both teams to score markets being popular for this tie.

From a punting perspective, the price for a Liverpool victory is tempting given home form; the away price is juicy too if you fancy Guardiola to grind out a result. The word on the terraces is BTTS — yes — and that aligns with the statistics we’ve seen: Liverpool have been vulnerable at the back at Anfield this season and City’s attack rarely goes quiet for long. Our predictions therefore blend respect for City’s firepower with faith in Liverpool’s late-goal habit.

For those eyeing correct-scores, a 2-1 win for Liverpool is the headline call — a classic scoreline that balances risk and realism. If you prefer riskier punts, backing both teams to score plus a narrow Liverpool win gives decent combined value. Remember: odds move, so shop around and stake responsibly.

Comparison and Statistics

Look at the recent H2H and you’ll see that these two have served up drama repeatedly. Over the last dozen meetings City have only taken one victory at Anfield, which adds context to the Reds’ confidence. The head to head record overall is tight, but the tendency is for competitive, high-quality encounters rather than low-scoring stalemates.

Form tables tell a mixed story. Liverpool have won three of their last four in all competitions and produced a rousing 4-1 comeback recently, showing resilience. City have dropped unexpected points — the 2-2 with Tottenham a case in point — yet their early dominance in many league fixtures cannot be ignored. Goals data favours entertainment: Liverpool have failed to keep a clean sheet in eight of 12 league games at Anfield and both teams scored in around 58% of those fixtures.

Key stats to chew over:

Liverpool scoring punch late in matches — a significant chunk of their goals arrive after the 75th minute.
City often control the opening stages and have a strong record at the half-time mark.
Recent matches suggest a higher-than-average chance of both teams netting — so BTTS markets and over 2.5 goals are worth a look.

Expected Line-ups

Team selection will be pivotal. Liverpool are missing Jeremie Frimpong through injury and have other absentees to consider. Expect a front line that can trouble City’s makeshift defence, with the manager likely to deploy a fluid attack that exploits wide spaces and late runs into the box.

Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike. Those names give a blend of defensive steel and attacking dynamism — but watch for late changes if any knocks persist.

City’s defensive issues are well-documented: Gvardiol, Dias and Stones are absent, handing responsibility to recent signings and makeshift pairings. With Kovacic and Doku doubts, Pep may opt for a slightly conservative midfield setup to shield the backline while still supplying Haaland up front.

Predicted Man City XI: Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rodri; Semenyo, Cherki, Silva, Ait-Nouri; Haaland. Tactical tweaks could see Guardiola sacrificing a midfielder for extra cover, which would impact chances and the flow of the game.

How Will the Season Pan Out

This fixture is more than three points — it’s posture. For Liverpool, a slip here threatens top-four hopes and European seeding; for City, failure to win would open the door for Arsenal and others to capitalise. Expect both clubs to treat this as a season-defining six-pointer in the context of their respective campaigns.

If Liverpool win, it injects belief, galvanises the supporters and tightens the race for the top spots. A City victory, meanwhile, keeps the pressure on Arsenal and demonstrates that Guardiola’s men can cope despite injuries. Either outcome has ripple effects: table momentum, confidence and transfer-room narratives will be shaped by the result.

To sum up our predictions and tips: this is likely to be a close, entertaining contest with both teams finding the net. The market slightly favours the hosts and we’re siding with a narrow Liverpool win — but expect drama, late goals and plenty to talk about come the final whistle.

Predictions: Liverpool to edge it; Tips: BTTS — Yes; H2H form favours entertaining football. Bet with your head, not your heart, and enjoy the spectacle.

Written by:

Mark Brown

Chief Statistician

Bio:

Football bores me to tears! I’m not interested in the Rooney’s and Ronaldo’s of the world, but I am interested in betting. With that in mind, I spend hours trawling through the statistics of the football markets and can usually come up with an angle which presents a viable betting opportunity.

Key contributions:

Chief statistician or Stato, as my colleagues like to call me

Personnel betting philosophy or quotes:

“Risk wisely, gain greatly”