Liverpool Vs Man City: The Reds Face Stern Test Against In-Form Cityzens At Anfield

Liverpool are set to host Manchester City in a crunch 2026/2027 Premier League matchweek 6 clash at Anfield on Sunday, 11 October 2026,  Completesports.com reports.

The Reds face a stern test at home against City as both teams look to build on their performances before the international break.

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Liverpool and Man City have new faces in the dugout, with the Reds parting ways with Arne Slot in favour of Andoni Iraola. City, meanwhile, have bid farewell to legendary manager Pep Guardiola after 10 successful years at the Etihad, with former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca succeeding the Spanish tactician.

Teams’ Form And Recent Performances

Liverpool

Liverpool have made an unbeaten, albeit mixed, start to the 2026/27 season.

The Reds drew their first two games of the campaign against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest before recording victories over newly promoted Ipswich Town and Atletico Madrid in their UEFA Champions League opener.

Also Read: Barcola Ready To Step Up For Liverpool Ahead Of Man City Clash

Andoni Iraola’s side then struggled to a goalless draw at home against Fulham before defeating Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 in the third round of the Carabao Cup. Liverpool headed into the first international break of the season following a hard-fought 1-0 away win over Bournemouth.

Man City

Maresca has made a perfect start to his managerial stint at Man City, making them the only English side to have won all their matches so far this term.

City defeated Bournemouth 2-1 in their first game under the Italian coach before recording victories against Crystal Palace and Coventry City.

The Cityzens travelled to Portugal for their Champions League opener against Porto, which they won comprehensively, before facing city rivals Manchester United in a Manchester derby that ended controversially, courtesy of Erling Haaland’s winner.

City subsequently dispatched Norwich City 5-0 in the third round of the Carabao Cup before seeing off Sunderland in an eight-goal thriller that took them to the top of the Premier League standings heading into the international break.

Head-To-Head Statistics

Liverpool and Manchester City have faced each other on 197 occasions, with the Reds recording the most victories at 92, compared with Man City’s 55, while 50 matches have ended in draws.

Both teams clashed three times last season, with City winning all three encounters. A 2-1 victory at Anfield was sandwiched between emphatic 3-0 and 4-0 wins at the Etihad in the league and the FA Cup quarter-final, respectively.

City will be looking to record four consecutive wins against Liverpool for the first time in 89 years.

Key Players To Watch

Liverpool

Alexis Mac Allister

Mac Allister is one of Liverpool’s key players this season, having scored two goals and provided an assist to help the Reds maintain an unbeaten start in all competitions.

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The 27-year-old Argentina international is an intelligent and technically proficient midfielder known for his exceptional spatial awareness, ball retention and ability to control the tempo of a game.

Dominik Szoboszlai

Szoboszlai has proved to be one of Iraola’s key players, just as he was under Slot and Jurgen Klopp. The Hungarian midfielder has scored three goals in all competitions this season, while his three goals and an assist against Man City make him a player to watch in this fixture.

The 25-year-old is an all-action, box-to-box midfielder known for his exceptional physical engine, powerful ball-striking and high-intensity pressing.

Man City

Erling Haaland

Haaland has picked up where he left off last season, starting the new campaign in impressive fashion with seven goals in as many games for the Cityzens.

The Norwegian talisman is an elite centre-forward who combines rare physical dominance with the instincts of a clinical modern-day poacher.

Haaland has scored eight goals against Liverpool across all competitions and will be looking to add to his tally on Sunday.

Rayan Cherki

Cherki has also made an impressive start to the season, registering four goals and two assists in eight games for Maresca’s side.

The France international is a highly creative and inventive attacking midfielder and winger known for his rare two-footed ability, flair and unpredictable dribbling style.

Team News

Liverpool

Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo will miss Sunday’s encounter after suffering injuries while on international duty with Sweden and the Netherlands, respectively.

Lewis Koumas is expected to replace Isak in the central forward position after impressing Iraola in the Reds’ 3-1 win over Tottenham in the Carabao Cup.

Jeremy Jacquet, who also sustained an injury during the international break, is fit and ready to start alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.

Federico Chiesa is also back in the team after recovering from an injury sustained during pre-season.

Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni remain sidelined.

Man City

Maresca has confirmed that Erling Haaland is fit and ready to play on Sunday after reports emerged that the Norwegian had picked up a knock while on international duty.

Antoine Semenyo was forced to withdraw from the Ghana squad during the international break with a ‘swollen leg’. However, he is expected to face Liverpool after training with the team on Thursday.

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Nico O’Reilly withdrew from the England squad last week due to an unspecified injury. Although his condition is not considered serious, it remains unclear whether he will be fit enough to make City’s matchday squad on Sunday.

Phil Foden will serve the third and final match of his three-game suspension this weekend after receiving a straight red card in City’s Manchester derby victory over rivals Manchester United on 13 September.

Possible Starting Line-Ups

Liverpool (4-2-3-1):

Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Barcola; Koumas

Man City (4-2-3-1):

Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol; Fernandez, Anderson; Semenyo, Cherki, Doku; Haaland