Man City to run the gauntlet at Anfield as Liverpool aim to inflict Maresca's first defeat

[p]The visitors not only arrive as the only team with a 100% record and are sitting pretty at the top of the table, but this will be the first away game since they were formally charged with breaching the Premier League's financial rules, and that's likely to make for a red-hot atmosphere throughout.[/p][h2]Goals guaranteed[/h2][p]Goals are virtually guaranteed, as since the goalless draw between the sides in 2018, this fixture has averaged 3.1 goals per game.[/p][p]The two top scorers in the league this season are [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Erling Haaland[/a] (five) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/isak-alexander/p41IV42c/"]Alexander Isak[/a] (four), but the latter will be absent, after having to leave the Swedish camp with an injury concern.[/p][image alt="Liverpool vs Man City - Recent head-to-head results" id="d43ea80f-05b4-4922-a1a6-952a9a4b2c11" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="059772c0-1a66-40c3-8748-7019709a4d87" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]With the most total shots for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] (15) and the most on target (seven), Isak's withdrawal could be keenly felt. [/p][p]Haaland scored in both matches against Liverpool last season, has already taken the most total shots for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]City[/a] this term (20), along with having the most on target (10).[/p][h2]No Klopp or Pep[/h2][p]Strike partner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/semenyo-antoine/r1Gz1yPk/"]Antoine Semenyo[/a], who is also a doubt for this one, has scored all of his goals against the Reds at Anfield.[/p][p]For the hosts, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/szoboszlai-dominik/dERKtqoo/"]Dominik Szoboszlai[/a] is likely to be key, given that he has three goal involvements in his last three games against Sunday's opponents, and his battling qualities are never in doubt.[/p][embed guid="5ea9b861-38af-40ed-a2e0-4c89d2158f38" url="https://x.com/ManCity/status/2108244782854095272" social-type="twitter" /][p]It's the first time since 2015 that neither Jurgen Klopp nor Pep Guardiola are in the dugouts.[/p][p]Andoni Iraola is looking to become just the third Liverpool manager after Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan to go undefeated in his opening six league games at the club, whilst Enzo Maresca is bidding to become only the fourth Premier League manager in history to win all of his opening six matches.[/p][h2]City are unbeaten in 10 away games[/h2][p]There won't be a better time for the hosts to get a win either, not only to stop the City juggernaut, but given that their last four home matches have all ended in a draw.[/p][p]March 1993 (five), February 2003 (seven) and March 2021 (eight) are the only other occasions when the Reds have gone five home games or more without a win.[/p][image alt="Liverpool vs Man City - Current Premier League standings" id="12df6710-b539-4117-922c-86eefa1b2372" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="f5020403-4638-4270-a103-95691adbd62a" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]City are unbeaten in 10 away matches against all opponents, and will be encouraged that it's the away side in this fixture that has won two of the last three meetings, which is as many as in the previous 32 games between the teams. [/p][p]They left Anfield last season with a 2-1 win - the first time they'd done the double over Liverpool since 1937 - and you have to go back to 2002/03 to find the last time that there were two consecutive away wins for one or the other in this fixture.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/liverpool-lId4TMwf/manchester-city-Wtn9Stg0/?mid=p0aFxkkn"]Follow Liverpool vs Man City with Flashscore![/a][/b][/p][h2]Three clean sheets for Alisson in five matches[/h2][p]It is worth pointing out, however, that the Cityzens have only won three of 29 away games at Anfield since the inception of the Premier League in 1992.[/p][p]Oddly enough, Liverpool's total of 76 shots, from which they've scored seven goals so far, is more shots than City have managed, but Maresca's side have scored 13, suggesting that the current league leaders are much more economical in front of goal than their next opponents. [/p][embed guid="67462398-1e4c-440b-8b91-5958c7feba4d" url="https://x.com/LFC/status/2108256359481233661" social-type="twitter" /][p]However, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alisson/UZrQ3bwP/"]Alisson[/a] having kept three clean sheets from the five games played so far in 2026/27, Liverpool could be a tough nut to crack.[/p][p]Indeed, they've only let in a single goal in the opening 15 minutes of games this season, and none in the final quarter hour, so if City want to emerge victorious, it would appear that they'll need to do the damage during the middle portion of the match.[/p][h2]Hosts have mini-injury crisis[/h2][p]Ahead of the game, the visitors are ranked top for shot conversion rate (27%), total passes made (3,143), and pass completion (89%), putting into perspective just how difficult a task the hosts have in inflicting City's first defeat of the season.[/p][p]Alongside Isak, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gakpo-cody/pWyuBud0/"]Cody Gakpo[/a] will also miss out, although [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jacquet-jeremy/h0WK6DL4/"]Jeremy Jacquet[/a] is expected to be fit to start.[/p][image alt="Liverpool vs Man City - Win probability" id="3f671d57-d9bd-4d89-8a73-7b8c491656bc" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="60ba9bbe-6a77-429f-8b86-5edc5127f58e" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]The Dutchman is a big miss, given that his three assists are the most of any Liverpool player this season, whilst 11 chances created are the joint most alongside Szoboszlai.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chiesa-federico/jHMlMUC4/"]Federico Chiesa[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bradley-conor/GM6fgd0p/"]Conor Bradley[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leoni-giovanni/GdON0JjJ/"]Giovanni Leoni[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ekitike-hugo/ltVXPlJU/"]Hugo Ekitike[/a] are all definitely out for the hosts.[/p][p]City could also be without [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/o-reilly-nico/xOrYaNWc/"]Nico O'Reilly[/a], who'll face a late fitness test, whilst [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/foden-phil/E7XjDJns/"]Phil Foden[/a] is suspended after his red card in the Manchester derby.[/p][infobox id="8a8311c3-81b3-440e-8b49-36091db073d1" /]