Manchester City and Liverpool return from the World Cup break with a last-16 EFL Cup clash at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.
When the teams met in the Premier League back in October, Liverpool claimed a 1-0 victory over Man City at Anfield.
“We can’t wait to start the cup game against City now. We had a good time out in Dubai so we’re well prepared and all raring to go." 🗣️— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 20, 2022
“We can’t wait to start the cup game against City now. We had a good time out in Dubai so we’re well prepared and all raring to go." 🗣️
However, it is worth noting that Liverpool find themselves sixth in the Premier League table – ten points behind second-place Man City.
Having won four of the past five EFL Cups – and six of the previous nine – Pep Guardiola’s side know exactly what it takes to go all the way in this competition.
Man City kicked off this season’s EFL Cup campaign with a 2-0 win against Chelsea, thanks to goals from Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez.
In the Premier League, they Cityzens have lost just two of their 14 outings this term – picking up ten wins and two draws along the way.
Guardiola’s men are also the highest scorers in the Premier League this season, having netted 40 goals in 14 encounters (2.85 goals per game).
As for Liverpool, they ended Man City’s EFL Cup domination by beating Chelsea on penalties in last year’s final.
This season, Jurgen Klopp’s side scraped past League One outfit Derby County on penalties to book their place in the fourth round.
It’s fair to say that Liverpool have struggled in the Premier League this term. Indeed, they have only managed to win six of their 14 league outings in 2022/23.
But after notching a run of four wins in six league games in the lead-up to the World Cup, the Reds will fancy their chances of challenging Man City on Thursday.
Head-to-head: It is worth noting that Liverpool have already claimed Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield victories over Man City in 2022.
The past two EFL Cup meetings between Man City and Liverpool ended in a draw, with the teams playing out a 2-2 draw in 2012 before recording a 1-1 draw in 2016.
Team news: Man City have no injury concerns following the World Cup, meaning Guardiola has a full-strength squad at his disposal.
On the flip side, Liverpool are currently without the injured trio of Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Arthur Melo.
Regardless of Liverpool’s strong record against Man City this year, Guardiola’s men are expected to come out on top this time around.
Forebet predicts that both teams will score on Thursday. However, Man City have more than enough firepower to outscore Liverpool.