Manchester City vs Liverpool Preview

Manchester City welcome Liverpool to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon in what promises to be one of the most compelling fixtures of the Premier League season. These two titans of English football have consistently produced memorable encounters in recent years, and this meeting arrives at a crucial juncture in the campaign. City have rediscovered their winning formula after a brief setback, claiming four victories from their last five matches across all competitions. Liverpool arrive in Manchester with three wins from their last five games, though recent defeats have exposed some vulnerabilities. With both teams possessing world-class attacking talent and tactical sophistication, this fixture has all the ingredients for another classic encounter between two of Europe’s elite sides.

Manchester City’s recent form has been impressive, with four wins and one defeat from their last five matches across all competitions. Their most recent outing saw them secure a commanding 4-1 home victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on November 5th, a performance that underlined their status as one of Europe’s most formidable sides. Prior to that European triumph, they claimed a professional 3-1 home win over AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League on November 2nd. Earlier in this sequence, they recorded an impressive 3-1 away victory at Swansea City in the Carabao Cup on October 29th, demonstrating their squad depth. Their only defeat in this period came when they lost 1-0 away at Aston Villa in the Premier League on October 26th, a rare stumble that highlighted the challenges of maintaining consistency across multiple competitions. They also secured a 2-0 away victory at Villarreal in the Champions League on October 21st. The home side will be without two players, with Rodri and Mateo Kovacic both ruled out. These absences will impact their midfield options, particularly the loss of Rodri whose defensive presence and distribution have been integral to City’s control of matches this season.

Liverpool’s recent form shows three wins and two defeats from their last five matches across all competitions. Their most recent fixture saw them claim an impressive 1-0 home victory against Real Madrid in the Champions League on November 4th, a result that demonstrated their capability to compete with Europe’s elite on the biggest stage. In their previous outing, they secured a comfortable 2-0 home win over Aston Villa in the Premier League on November 1st, maintaining their push for the upper reaches of the table. Earlier in this sequence, they suffered a surprising 3-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup on October 29th. They also lost 3-2 away at Brentford in the Premier League on October 25th, a result that raised questions about their defensive solidity. Their impressive run began with a commanding 5-1 away victory at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on October 22nd, showcasing their devastating attacking potential. The visitors face a more severe injury crisis than their hosts, with Wataru Endo, Stefan Bajcetic, Alisson Becker, Giovanni Leoni, and Jeremie Frimpong all ruled out, while Alexander Isak remains doubtful. These absences significantly weaken their options, particularly the loss of goalkeeper Alisson whose shot-stopping and distribution have been crucial to Liverpool’s system.

The head-to-head record in recent meetings shows two Liverpool wins, one Manchester City win, and two draws from the last five encounters. Most recently, Liverpool won 2-0 away at Manchester City in February 2025, continuing their strong record at the Etihad in recent seasons. They also secured a 2-0 home victory in December 2024. The teams played out a 1-1 draw at Anfield in March 2024. They also drew 1-1 at the Etihad in November 2023. Manchester City’s only victory in this sequence came with a commanding 4-1 home win in April 2023, demonstrating they possess the quality to dominate this fixture. Liverpool’s recent success in this matchup will give them confidence, though City’s current form and home advantage suggest they will be determined to reverse this trend.

Both managers are expected to deploy their preferred systems, with Manchester City likely to line up in their characteristic 4-2-3-1 formation designed to dominate possession and create chances through intricate passing combinations, while Liverpool should employ a 4-2-3-1 shape that balances defensive solidity with rapid transitions and attacking threat. The tactical battle will center around City’s ability to control possession against Liverpool’s high-energy pressing and their dangerous counter-attacking threat. City will look to stretch Liverpool’s defense and exploit spaces with their technical superiority, while Liverpool will seek to disrupt City’s rhythm and capitalize on any defensive lapses with their pace in transition. The absence of Rodri removes some of City’s defensive protection in midfield, which could allow Liverpool more opportunities to exploit spaces between the lines.

The match kicks off at 16:30 GMT on Sunday, November 9th, 2025, and fans around the world can tune in to catch all the action. In the United Kingdom, the match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, and Sky Ultra HD, with streaming available via Sky Go UK, NOW, and SKY GO Extra. American viewers can watch on fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, USA Network, Telemundo, and UNIVERSO. Canadian fans have coverage through DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, and Amazon Prime Video. In Spain, the match is available on DAZN Spain, Movistar+, Amazon Prime Video, Movistar Liga de Campeones, and Movistar Plus+.

Injured Players

Manchester City: Rodri (Out), Mateo Kovacic (Out)

Liverpool: Wataru Endo (Out), Stefan Bajcetic (Out), Alisson Becker (Out), Giovanni Leoni (Out), Jeremie Frimpong (Out), Alexander Isak (Doubtful)

Liverpool face a significantly more challenging injury situation with five players ruled out and one doubtful, severely weakening their squad depth across multiple positions. Manchester City will be without two midfielders, but their superior squad depth should help them cope better with these absences compared to Liverpool’s more extensive injury crisis.

Possible Line-Ups

Manchester City (4-2-3-1)
Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Silva, Gvardiol, González, Foden, Haaland, O’Reilly, Doku, Cherki

Liverpool (4-2-3-1)
Mamardashvili, Robertson, Gravenberch, Dijk, Allister, Konaté, Ekitiké, Szoboszlai, Bradley, Salah, Gakpo

Manchester City Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
W	Manchester City	4-1	Borussia Dortmund	Champions League	Nov 5, 2025
W	Manchester City	3-1	AFC Bournemouth	English Premier League	Nov 2, 2025
W	Swansea City	1-3	Manchester City	English Carabao Cup	Oct 29, 2025
L	Aston Villa	1-0	Manchester City	English Premier League	Oct 26, 2025
W	Villarreal	0-2	Manchester City	Champions League	Oct 21, 2025

Liverpool Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
W	Liverpool	1-0	Real Madrid	Champions League	Nov 4, 2025
W	Liverpool	2-0	Aston Villa	English Premier League	Nov 1, 2025
L	Liverpool	0-3	Crystal Palace	English Carabao Cup	Oct 29, 2025
L	Brentford	3-2	Liverpool	English Premier League	Oct 25, 2025
W	Eintracht Frankfurt	1-5	Liverpool	Champions League	Oct 22, 2025

Head-to-Head Record

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
Manchester City	0-2	Liverpool	English Premier League	Feb 23, 2025
Liverpool	2-0	Manchester City	English Premier League	Dec 1, 2024
Liverpool	1-1	Manchester City	English Premier League	Mar 10, 2024
Manchester City	1-1	Liverpool	English Premier League	Nov 25, 2023
Manchester City	4-1	Liverpool	English Premier League	Apr 1, 2023

TV Listings / Streaming

Country	Broadcaster
United Kingdom	Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra HD
USA	fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, USA Network, Telemundo, UNIVERSO
Canada	DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Amazon Prime Video
Spain	DAZN Spain, Movistar+, Amazon Prime Video, Movistar Liga de Campeones, Movistar Plus+
Germany	Sky Go, WOW, Amazon Prime Video, Sky Sport Premier League, Sky Sport Top Event
Brazil	Zapping, Claro TV+, Disney+ Premium Brazil, Sky+, Vivo Play, ESPN Brazil
France	myCANAL, Canal+ Sport360, Canal+ Foot, Canal+ Live 2
Italy	Sky Sport Arena
Australia	Stan Sport
India	JioHotstar, Star Sports Select HD1, Star Sports Select 1