Premier League Big Match Focus: How to back a 9/1 Man City win at Liverpool

• Salah loves playing City
• Foden chasing record
• Injuries hitting Liverpool
• Both teams should score at Anfield

Manchester City remain the only unbeaten team in the Premier League, but that record will be put to the test as Pep Guardiola's side travel to Anfield on Sunday.

The Reds suffered their second league defeat of the season last time out against Arsenal, and sit 13 points behind City going into their latest game. Klopp has already ruled his team out of title contention, but they still have a chance to deal their rivals a blow.

First time for everything

Liverpool's recent record against Manchester City has been mixed to say the least. The reigning domestic cup holders knocked City out of the FA Cup en route to last season's success, and also beat them 3-1 in the Community Shield, but it's a different story in the league.

The Reds have won none of their last five league match-ups, with their last victory coming in the first half of their 2019-20 title winning season when early goals from Fabinho and Mohamed Salah set them on their way to a 3-1 victory. Six without a league win is a run they have never experienced against City.

Despite the run of results, though, it has been rare for Liverpool to struggle in front of goal against opponents who - going into this weekend's games - have the joint-best defensive record in the league.

They have drawn a blank in just one of the last nine meetings in all competitions, and that came in the summer of 2020 when the league was all but done and dusted.

Injury issues

Last weekend's defeat at Arsenal was a frustrating one, and not just for the result on the pitch. Luis Diaz and Trent Alexander-Arnold both suffered injuries against the Gunners, and both could be missing on Sunday.

Diaz is expected to be out until after the World Cup with a knee problem, and that increases the pressure on Mohamed Salah. Liverpool's star man has yet to find his top gear this season after finishing as joint-top scorer in last season's Premier League, but his record against City is an enviable one.

Salah has played five home games against City and scored in four of them, including a goal of the month winner in October 2021.

If he finds the net this weekend, he will become the first Premier League player since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to score in four successive home games against City, though the opponents are in much better shape than they were when the Dutchman got his goals against them between 2000 and 2004.

Haaland unstoppable

Southampton restricted Erling Haaland to just one goal last weekend, but it didn't do them much good. City still beat them 4-0, with four different players on the scoresheet, to extend their unbeaten run to 21 league games.

Haaland now has 15 goals in the league, the same number Kevin De Bruyne registered last season when he finished as City's top scorer in the competition.

His goal tally and his 18 goal involvements are both record tallies for a player's first 10 games in the Premier League, which would be impressive even before we point out he has only played nine times.

One of those other three scorers against Southampton was Phil Foden. The England international scored City's first goal in the corresponding fixture last season and rounded off the scoring in a 4-1 win at Anfield in February 2021, and can become only the third ever visiting player to score in three straight Premier League games at Anfield.

Liverpool v Manchester City prediction

Manchester City have gone more than 12 months without losing an away Premier League game, and have lost just one of their last 37 home or away matches in the competition.

They might fancy their chances against a full-strength Liverpool, let alone one missing at least one key first-teamer.

Liverpool do have some history on their side, not least their 22 Premier League victories over reigning champions. That's a record, and includes victories over then-reigning-champions City in 2014 as well as 2019.

Liverpool's 4.30100/30 odds are longer than they have been in a very long time for a game at Anfield, but it's in line with the season to date. Another goal or more against City is very much within the realms of possibility, but a victory would require a performance the like of which has been rare this term.