Manchester City will play their first match since being found guilty of 114 financial charges. Fittingly, it will be against the club arguably most affected by their crimes, Liverpool. The match begins at 11:30 am ET on Sunday at Anfield.
Manchester City are +150 favorites, while Liverpool are +155 underdogs on DraftKings Sportsbook. However, it is nearly a coin flip between these two sides. The odds are +270 for the match to end in a draw. This is my prediction and pick for this tie between Liverpool and Manchester City.
Liverpool vs. Manchester City Prediction
Manchester City Preview
This match marks the start of a new era for Manchester City, in a negative sense. After years of investigation, City have been found guilty on 114 of 115 of the charges they were accused of. The sanctions are still yet to come, but there is speculation the club could be stripped of titles, given transfer bans and even relegated. There is undoubtedly a dark cloud over the club at the moment, and it will be interesting to see how they respond. The decision came over the international break, so the players and coaches have been stewing in this over the last couple of weeks. This match will show a lot about who Manchester City will be the rest of the season.
Liverpool Preview
This is a huge match for Liverpool. The start of the Andoni Iraola era has been a bit up and down so far. They currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League, but entered the international break with a lot of positive momentum. They beat Tottenham in the Carabao Cup and Bournemouth in the Premier League before heading off to their home countries. The Reds now return home to what should be an amazing atmosphere at Anfield. Liverpool have been stout defensively as of late, allowing just two goals across their past five matches in all competitions. If the Reds can get their attacking pieces firing, they could go on a real run in the league.
Liverpool vs. Manchester City Pick
My best bet is on this match to finish in a draw. Manchester City have undoubtedly been better this season, but all of the intangibles point in Liverpool’s direction. It is a big question mark how Manchester City will respond to being found guilty of the 114 charges. Also, the Anfield crowd will be at full voice for this match. The Liverpool supporters feel incredibly wronged by what Manchester City have done. It is Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side that was robbed of the most trophies during Manchester City’s era of breaking financial rules. The Anfield crowd will surely be voicing their displeasure from start to finish in this match.
Liverpool have always done a good job of keeping Erling Haaland in check at Anfield. In four Premier League matches played at Anfield, Haaland has just one goal, and that came on a penalty. Since moving Ronald Araujo to right-back, the Liverpool defense has looked great. Jeremy Jacquet has emerged as a young star at center-back and is playing brilliantly alongside Virgil van Dijk. This game has a strong chance of finishing 1-1 or 2-2, making +270 a great price for the draw on the three-way Moneyline.
