Liverpool vs Manchester City Preview – can the Citizens cling on in the title race?
Liverpool and City have spent the last decade turning Premier League Sundays into appointment television. This one comes with a slightly different flavour: Liverpool are chasing the season back into shape, Manchester City are chasing Arsenal, and both have Europe on the brain after a busy January.
Anfield, 16:30 (UK) on Sunday 8th February, should feel like a stress test for two teams still capable of playing like a title winner for 20 minutes at a time. The fun bit is working out which 20 minutes, and who gets to own them.
Liverpool and Manchester City always makes for PRIME watching
What’s up for grabs?
Liverpool enter the weekend in sixth, with the table still bunched enough that a good fortnight can turn a top four scrap into something potentially a bit shinier, as their rivals Manchester United have been showing under Michael Carrick. The mood has lifted fast after a 4-1 comeback win over Newcastle and a Champions League demolition of Qarabağ that effectively served as a reminder: yes, the ceiling is still there.
City arrive second, six points off Arsenal, and with that familiar sense of controlled urgency. They have had wobblier away days recently, but they also just booked a Carabao Cup final spot with a 3-1 win over Newcastle, and their Champions League league-phase finish was good enough to go straight into the round of 16.
Also: Anfield remains the one Premier League venue that tends to swallow City’s rhythm whole. Even when City are better, the stadium tends to make them play the match Liverpool want.
Our monthly European Teams Power Ranking update is in! Barca, Liverpool and Man Utd improve their positions, Como are back on the list and Aston Villa suffer a minor drop
— 365Scores (@365Scores) February 3, 2026
Agree with the rankings? pic.twitter.com/Zy279CCSMm
Team news
Liverpool
Arne Slot’s injury list is concentrated in awkward areas. Jeremie Frimpong is still not ready, while Conor Bradley is out, leaving Liverpool a little short on natural right-backs. Alexander Isak and Giovanni Leoni are also sidelined. Joe Gomez has had a chance of making the squad, which matters because Liverpool have leaned on him to plug holes when the calendar starts getting loud.
Tactically, Liverpool have increasingly looked like a 4-2-3-1, with Wirtz central behind Hugo Ekitike, and Salah and Gakpo either side. When it clicks, it looks less like a system and more like a set of recurring patterns: early pressure, quick entries, and lots of bodies arriving in the box.
Manchester City
City’s absences are the kind that mess with Guardiola’s favourite rotations. Bernardo Silva is a doubt after picking up a knock, and City are also missing John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, Jeremy Doku (who had a great game against Liverpool in the reverse fixture) and Savinho. Ruben Dias has recently returned to the matchday squad, and Cherki has been managed after a recent knock but is expected to be available.
Recent form, including Europe
Liverpool (all competitions)
Liverpool’s league form has been a bit of a stop-start saga, but the last couple of weeks have looked, mostly, like a reset. The headline is the Newcastle match: go behind, then flip the pitch with pressure and finishing. In the Champions League, Liverpool beat Marseille 3-0 away and then hit six against Qarabağ at Anfield, a pair of results that have put them comfortably into the round of 16 without needing the play-offs.
The attack has been the swing factor. Liverpool have scored in bunches recently (15 in last four matches) and the Wirtz to Ekitike connection is starting to feel like a real organising principle rather than a nice idea.
Manchester City (all competitions)
City’s recent Premier League stretch has included too many dropped points for their own liking, including a 2-2 draw at Spurs where they were in control and still let the game get away. But they have balanced that with a strong cup performance against Newcastle and a timely Champions League win over Galatasaray, which sealed a top-eight finish in the league phase and direct passage to the last 16.
In Europe, City’s league phase included at least one proper stumble, but the important part is this: they did what elite teams do, which is qualify in the lane that protects the legs.
Pep Guardiola has been asked if the Premier League title race is over and his response was enough to say that Man City will be fighting till the end 💪 pic.twitter.com/7g9DQ6hE3B
— 365Scores (@365Scores) February 2, 2026
Key stats that shape the match
- Anfield has been City’s Premier League problem set. City have only one win in their last 22 league trips to Anfield. That single win came in February 2021.
- Liverpool’s late scoring is real. They have been especially dangerous after half-time and are the league’s best side for goals in the final 15 minutes, with 14 goals coming in that period.
- Liverpool’s Improvement Between Matchweek 6 and Matchweek 12, Liverpool lost more Premier League games than any other club (6) yet since, no side has lost fewer games than them (1)
- City have already beaten Liverpool 3-0 this season. That November result sits in the background as both reference point and motivation: City will want the double, Liverpool will want to prove it was a different version of them.
Key players
Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
Wirtz has started to look like the player Liverpool paid for: not just a highlight reel in tight spaces, but a connector who accelerates attacks and helps win the ball back quickly enough to keep opponents pinned. In the Premier League this season, he has 23 appearances, four goals and two assists. In the Champions League, he has 7 matches, 1 goal and 2 assists, and that European production has helped Liverpool secure a direct route into the last 16. The numbers aren’t off the charts, but he’s been seriously heating up in recent weeks.
What makes him central on Sunday is how he occupies defenders. City’s midfield and centre-backs hate being forced into decisions. Wirtz’s whole thing is forcing decisions.
Rayan Cherki (Manchester City)
Cherki’s City season has been a balance of Guardiola structure and Cherki chaos, and that is a compliment. I’m still excited thinking about that stupidly good rabona assist for Phil Foden. In the Premier League he has 19 appearances, 3 goals and 7 assists, giving City a different kind of creative spark: more dribble-first, more sudden, more likely to turn a tidy possession into something messy and dangerous.
Cherki’s importance is that he gives City a route to goal that does not require perfection. If Liverpool’s press causes chaos, Cherki can turn chaos into a chance.
FAQs
When is Liverpool vs Manchester City?
Sunday 8th February 2026, 16:30 (UK) at Anfield.
What’s the key injury news?
Liverpool are without Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley among others, with Joe Gomez a possible return. City have multiple absentees including Gvardiol, Kovacic, Doku and Savinho, and Bernardo Silva is a doubt.
How have Liverpool looked lately?
Much better in the last couple of games, highlighted by a 4-1 win over Newcastle and a 6-0 Champions League win over Qarabağ.
How have City looked lately?
A bit leaky in the league, but strong in cups and Europe, including a Carabao Cup semi-final win over Newcastle and a Champions League win over Galatasaray that secured a last-16 spot.
Who are the spotlight players?
Florian Wirtz for Liverpool and Rayan Cherki for City, both central creative hubs with plenty of narrative weight in this fixture.
What’s the biggest tactical question?
Whether Liverpool can turn the match into a high-tempo press-and-pounce game without leaving themselves open to City’s best transition moments.
By Nicky Helfgott – NickyHelfgott1 on X (Twitter)
Keep up with all the latest football news and Premier League news on 365Scores!
