Liverpool vs Man City Preview: How the Game Will Be Won | Analysis

Aside from the 2025/26 campaign, few fixtures in the Premier League’s modern era have had such ramifications for the title race as Liverpool vs Manchester City.

And the spotlight will be shining even brighter on Anfield come Sunday, as this will be City’s first outing since the guilty verdict was passed on their protracted ‘115 charges’ case.

In some respects, no EPL club was more cheated by the Cityzens’ financial manipulation than Liverpool, so the atmosphere at Anfield is likely to be white hot – that could well be a factor in the outcome of this contest.

This will be the first Liverpool v Man City fixture for Andoni Iraola and Enzo Maresca in their respective dugouts, although Iraola does have experience of defeating the Cityzens as Bournemouth head coach – can he improve on that record now that he has, no disrespect intended, better players at his disposal?

Let’s take a look at how the two teams will be set up tactically, as well as the key battles that could define what could be something of a footballing war on Merseyside.

Key Players Could Miss Out

Before we dive into our tactical analysis, it’s worth taking a look at the players that could miss out after suffering injuries during the lengthy international break.

Erling Haaland limped off while representing Norway against Portugal; he asked to be substituted, which is wholly out of character for City’s frontman. Does he face a race against time to be fit for Sunday’s game?

Antoine Semenyo and Nico O’Reilly also withdrew from international duty; it’s not known if they are genuinely nursing injuries, or simply looking to manage their workload by sidestepping those Nations League games.

Even so, with Phil Foden suspended after getting sent off in the Manchester derby, there’s some key players that Maresca will be sweating over.

Injury Doubts

But Liverpool haven’t escaped from the internationals unscathed, either. Alexander Isak withdrew from the Sweden squad after complaining of a thigh problem, while Cody Gakpo’s ankle injury is definitely genuine – he was taken out by a heavy challenge in the Netherlands’ game against Serbia.

Jeremy Jacquet was left out of France’s squad for their win over Belgium with a hamstring issue, while Hugo Ekitike will certainly miss out due to his achilles injury.

This preview was written a few days in advance of the match, so we don’t have access to the latest team news, but it seems likely that some of these key protagonists will be absent – if the likes of Haaland and Isak are unavailable, it will cause their head coaches to have a significant rethink as to their tactics.

In and Out of Possession

One theme in this contest is that both teams are going to have to accept that they will have less of the ball than they are used to.

Average possession (overall) in 2026/27:

• Liverpool – 58.8%
• Man City – 64%

Average possession (home/away) in 2026/27:

• Liverpool – 62.5% (home)
• Man City – 59.7% (away)

Something will have to give on Sunday. Both teams will have to accept less of the ball, soak up pressure and spring out in counter attacks – not a style that either is renowned for.

It was a pattern of play showcased in February’s meeting between the sides at Anfield. The Cityzens were forced to defend for large periods of that game without the ball, sitting in a deep block and waiting to hit the Reds on the break.

And they were able to nab a late win with goals from Bernardo Silva and Haaland.

For City, playing on the counter is not something they are prone to doing, although they do have the ability to play through the thirds quickly. Much will depend on the fitness of Semenyo, as well as the ability of Rayan Cherki to find pockets of space in and around Ryan Gravenberch.

If he can, the Frenchman will be tasked with lifting balls in behind the Liverpool defence for Haaland to run onto – the feeling is that he might just have the physical edge on Virgil van Dijk (more on that later).

Counter Raid

As for Liverpool, you suspect their counter raids will be targeted down the flanks. As much as 71% of their play so far this term has come down the left or right side, and given the funky things that Maresca asks his full backs to do, this could be a potential avenue of success for the Reds.

Either the right back or left back in Maresca’s shape will be tasked with inverting and becoming a second midfield pivot, which creates space on that flank for a counter. Iraola may have to be brave and ask one or both of his wide men – potentially Bradley Barcola and either Victor Munoz or Rio Ngumoha, depending upon Gakpo’s fitness – to stay high up the pitch to act as a first receiver.

It’s interesting to note Iraola’s relative success against Pep Guardiola’s City side. Bournemouth played the Cityzens five times in all competitions from the start of the 2024/25 campaign with that pair in opposing technical areas, with the Cherries winning one, drawing another and scoring at least once in all five of those meetings.

Different clubs, different players. But Iraola found a way around City’s gameplan, with that DNA shared by Pep and Maresca. Can the Spaniard mastermind a similar level of tactical detail on Sunday?

Doubling Up Out Wide

One of the reference points for analysing this game might be Liverpool’s 2-1 triumph over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League this term.

The pattern of play was surprising; Liverpool ceding possession to the Spaniards and ending the game with just 45.2% monopolisation of the ball.

But they attacked with vigour down the flanks, with Ronald Araujo and Milos Kerkez having more touches of the ball in Atleti’s half of the pitch than their own.

Licence to Roam

The two wide attackers, Ngumoha and Barcola, were given licence to roam inside, while also receiving in wider areas – presenting them with opportunities to run 1v1 at their opposing full backs.

Given that we’ve established that Liverpool could counter down either flank, those individual battles between their wingers and City’s full backs could prove vital.

Will Iraola’s focus on wide play force Maresca to abandon his plan to invert one of his full backs? Or will City allow Liverpool to play with width and look to block the internal passing lanes instead?

Baiting the Liverpool Press

Historically, Man City have been forced to find novel ways to get around or through low defensive blocks.

But that’s not the challenge they will be faced with at Anfield on Sunday. In fact, Liverpool have applied more high intensity presses than any other Premier League side so far this season.

That approach, allied to the anticipated red-hot atmosphere in Anfield, will likely see Liverpool come racing out of the blocks, scavenging in packs to give City’s players no time on the ball.

The Reds may well trigger the press as soon as Marc Guehi receives the ball. His dithering in possession cost England a goal in their Nations League game with Spain earlier this month, so the centre back is unlikely to be given any time if he starts on Sunday.

Press Resistance

To play devil’s advocate, Man City have a higher pass accuracy percentage under pressure than any other Premier League side this term. And in Elliot Anderson, they have one of the most press-resistant midfielders in the competition, as per the 2025/26 data.

So Anderson may be the key for City in breaking Liverpool’s lines, feeding the likes of Cherki and Semenyo, who can then provide the ammunition for Haaland.

That’s the plan, anyway… but, as Mike Tyson famously once said, everyone has a plan until they’re punched in the face.

Haaland vs Van Dijk

This is a clash between two elite teams in which the individual moments – a spark of genius or a defensive mistake – could prove definitive.

And you wonder if the personal battle between Haaland and Virgil van Dijk could lend itself to either of those possibilities.

The Norwegian has scored in both of his last two outings against Liverpool, with a feeling that Van Dijk’s waning physicality may be a factor.

Haaland is surprisingly quick over short distances, and that highlights the danger of giving him any room for manoeuvre – Van Dijk, at the age of 35 and having previously suffered a torn ACL, simply doesn’t have the explosiveness to keep up.

Football IQ

The Dutchman is strong in the air, but Haaland is a similar height and has such jumping power that he can outleap Liverpool’s captain.

So the key will be for Van Dijk to remain touch tight to City’s prolific frontman, using his positional sense and football IQ to overcome his diminished physicality. He will need his central defensive lieutenant, presuming that Jacquet is fit, to come to the party as well.

The 20-year-old has certainly looked the part in his young Liverpool career to date, but shackling Haaland is one of the toughest assignments in football – this could be a baptism of fire for Jacquet, or the making of the talented youngster.

Either way, Sunday’s clash at Anfield should be a fascinating watch. The tactical decisions of Iraola and Maresca may prove vital in determining the destination of the three points.