Liverpool vs Man City: Match Preview, Latest Team News and Predicted Lineup | OneFootball

Liverpool vs Manchester City – Premier League Preview

Date: Sunday, 8 February 2026

Venue: Anfield

Kick-off: 16:30 GMT

Liverpool returns to Anfield on Sunday afternoon carrying a rare sense of momentum. Ten goals in two games have shifted both mood and narrative, easing the pressure that had surrounded Arne Slot and restoring some belief that this squad still carries the attacking weight expected of reigning champions. Standing in their way is a Manchester City side that looks unusually fragile, short on confidence and, perhaps most strikingly, nearing the end of the Pep Guardiola cycle.

This fixture usually arrives loaded with title-defining tension. This time, it feels more like a crossroads. Liverpool is trying to stabilise and climb. City are attempting to remember who they are whilst clinging to a title battle. Anfield, sensing vulnerability, will not be forgiving.

Manchester City: Control Without Certainty

City arrive on Merseyside far removed from the machine-like dominance that defined Guardiola’s peak years. Possession remains, but incision does not. Control exists, yet authority has faded against our organised opposition. Injuries, age, and tactical fatigue have dulled the sharp edges of a side once capable of suffocating opponents into submission.

Guardiola’s teams traditionally suffocate chaos and counter-punch their way to victory against physical competition. This City side seems caught in a maze of who they should be. Build-up play is slower, defensive transitions are laboured, and there is a growing reliance on individuals rather than structure. When City lose the ball, they no longer recover space with the same inevitability, leaving central defenders exposed and midfield protection inconsistent.

Expect City to try to quiet the game early, recycling possession and attempting to drain Anfield’s energy. But this is no longer a side that intimidates through inevitability. They will be cautious, selective in their pressing, and wary of being pulled into a game played at Liverpool’s tempo rather than their own.

Liverpool: Momentum Meets Opportunity

For Liverpool, this is about seizing a moment rather than managing one. The recent flood of goals has reintroduced speed, movement, and conviction into their play — elements that had been missing for large parts of the campaign. Florian Wirtz is thriving between the lines, Hugo Ekitike is stretching defences vertically, and Mohamed Salah looks freer with runners closer to him. The full week’s rest and preparation will also be key and familiarity often breeds success.

The midfield dynamic is crucial. Alexis Mac Allister must control rhythm without slowing it, while Dominik Szoboszlai’s running power can exploit City’s declining ability to track late surges as he likely starts from fullback, before inverting my inside. Ryan Gravenberch’s ball-carrying could be decisive in breaking City’s first press and forcing defenders to step out of shape.

Defensively, Liverpool must stay disciplined. City still possesses the technical quality to punish emotional football. Rest defence, spacing, and decision-making in possession will matter more than intensity alone. But unlike previous seasons, City can now be rattled — and Anfield will sense it.

Predicted Liverpool Lineup (4-2-3-1):

GK – Alisson Becker

RB – Dominik Szoboszlai

CB – Ibrahima Konaté

CB – Virgil van Dijk (c)

LB – Milos Kerkez

CM – Florian Wirtz

CM – Alexis Mac Allister

CM – Ryan Gravenberch

RW – Mohamed Salah

CF – Hugo Ekitike

LW – Cody Gakpo

Final Word

This feels less like a battle of equals and more like a test of timing. Liverpool is rising. The city is searching. Guardiola’s era may not be ending abruptly, but the aura has undeniably cracked.

If Liverpool plays with the same conviction and freedom shown in recent outings, this is an opportunity to strike a psychological blow as much as a competitive one. Anfield, sensing blood, will demand nothing less.

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction:

Liverpool 2 – 1 Manchester City