Premier League: Big Rivals Out to Make a Statement

Liverpool vs Manchester City

These two teams have won the last eight Premier League titles between them but it’s very much been one way with Manchester City clinching six of those triumphs.

This time around, Liverpool are the defending champions.

However, they find themselves well off the pace, despite a record-breaking summer spending spree, and are currently consigned to chasing a Champions League spot.

City, meanwhile, are in the title race (just) and remain six points off the pace but could well be further behind leaders Arsenal by the time they kick off on Merseyside on Sunday teatime.

As a result, failure to deliver Premier League 2026 highlights this weekend would be a blow to either team’s aspirations.

Talking Points

In midweek, City reached the League Cup Final with a 5-1 aggregate success over holders Newcastle.

It was a contest in which manager Pep Guardiola rested top scorer Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki (who picked up a knock last weekend) and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and it’s likely two or all three will feature from the start on Sunday, along with their two January recruits who were cup tied on Wednesday night.

Attacking star Antoine Semenyo – surely a genuine contender for footballer of the year – and centre back Marc Guehi are players this SBOTOP observer believes will prove City’s best recruits for a fair few years and the Ghanaian has scored in four of his first five appearances for the club.

Antoine Semenyo is already making his mark, energising Man City’s Premier League push — Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo scored his side’s second goal of the match, but it was disallowed after a VAR review during the EFL Cup semi-final

Of course, there is lots of football to be played before the individual gongs are handed out but he has certainly picked up from where he left off with Bournemouth.

One of City’s most memorable title successes was in 2022 when they sealed a last-day success and those two players will have a role to play if City are to emulate those kinds of achievements.

With that as the most recent benchmark, Liverpool have certainly underachieved in the league this season.

They do come into this off the back of a free week.

They were far too strong for Newcastle last weekend with a 4-1 win when there were signs that one of their two big money signings, German midfielder Florian Wirtz, has settled in English football and can be a key asset, scoring one and setting up another.

They will see the visit of City, their main rivals over the past six years, as a chance to show they remain a side capable of challenging for the top prize.

For the home side, Joe Gomez has a slight chance of recovering from his hip injury but Jeremie Frimpong (thigh) is not yet ready to return.

City’s Portuguese playmaker Bernardo Silva picked up a knock against Spurs last Sunday and is a doubt, while centre back Ruben Dias was among the substitutes in midweek after spending a month out with a hamstring issue.

History

The sides met twice last season.

On their way to ending City’s four years as champions, Liverpool took advantage of their poor run of form with Cody Gakpo and a Mohamed Salah penalty winning the day at Anfield.

It was the same scoreline in the return last February when Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai netted in the first half and City failed to take their chances.

That was their first win on City turf for almost a decade.

This term though was very different as City turned on the style with a 3-0 success, courtesy of goals from Haaland, Nico Gonzalez and Jeremy Doku.

Overall, Liverpool have won 110 of their clashes with 61 City successes and 58 draws.

Their very first meeting was a game played in Hyde Road in Manchester in the former Division Two in September 1893 when James Stott scored the only goal of the game in favour of the visitors.