Man City vs Liverpool preview | Confirmed team news | Expected line-ups | Prediction

Manchester City will look to close the gap on the top four when they take on Liverpool in a huge clash at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.

City head into the game off the back of a comfortable 3-0 victory over Olympiacos on Tuesday night that maintained their 100 per cent record in the Champions League following three wins from their three Group C matches.

However, the Citizens are off the pace in the Premier League as they currently sit mid-table and five points off the leaders so Pep Guardiola will be desperate to climb up the table with a win and inflict an early blow in the title race.

Manchester City and Liverpool are expected to be the leading candidates for the title once again this season and it’s the Reds who have the early advantage as they sit joint top of the table and five points clear of City.

Jurgen Klopp’s side produced a stunning performance to thrash Atalanta 5-0 in midweek and they head to the Etihad off the back of a five-game winning streak so Liverpool should be in confident mood tomorrow afternoon.

Team news

Man City will continue to be without Sergio Aguero as the Argentinean international is a confirmed absentee due to an on-going hamstring injury but Gabriel Jesus could start after making a goal-scoring return in midweek.

Fernandinho remains sidelined along with Benjamin Mendy but Guardiola will recall a number of regulars with the likes of Rodri, Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo set to come back into the side.

Liverpool will be without the services of Thiago Alcantara once again as he’s still recovering from a knee injury that he sustained in the Merseyside derby last month while Fabinho is also still on the treatment table.

Obviously Virgil van Dijk remains unavailable for selection following knee surgery but Joel Matip could be recalled to partner Joe Gomez in the middle of the back four after returning to fitness.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remains out with a knee injury but Klopp may make the difficult decision to recall Roberto Firmino and drop Diogo Jota to the bench despite the Portuguese international scoring a hat-trick in midweek.

Expected line-ups

Prediction

Man City 2-1 Liverpool: The Reds showed on Tuesday they are returning to something like their best form but the Merseysiders have a poor record away to Manchester City having won just one of their last 11 league visits.

City beat Liverpool 4-0 in this fixture last season – which was Liverpool’s first game back after clinching the title – and have won the last three meetings between the two sides at the Etihad by an aggregate score of 11-1.

This should be another entertaining game but we feel City might just edge it on home soil to clinch another victory over Liverpool.