Liverpool vs Manchester City: Iraola's unbeaten Liverpool meet Maresca's perfect City, and wait on Isak and Gakpo
By Margus Sellin · · Updated Thu 8 Oct · 5 min
Premier League · Matchday 6
Liverpool
Manchester City
- Kick-off
- Venue
- Anfield, Liverpool
Our call: Manchester City win 2–1
Rayan Cherki and a City side that keeps winning, against a Liverpool attack that may be without Isak and Gakpo.
Logged 9 Oct, 09:30 CEST, never edited. We'll mark this call after full time.
In 30 seconds
- Manchester City have won seven games in a row and are top with 15 points from five league games.
- Liverpool have let in 2 goals in their last five, after 11 in the five before that.
- Liverpool can keep it tight, but one goal will not be enough against City.
The story
Both managers are in their first season. Andoni Iraola replaced Arne Slot at Liverpool in June; Enzo Maresca replaced Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Five league games in, City are six points ahead. Liverpool are sixth with 9 points and have not lost a league game. City are top with 15, three points clear of Arsenal, and have won every one. "We've been unbeaten but they've won all of them," Iraola said on Wed 7 Oct. "I think we need to be very, very good if we want to beat City."
Iraola's problem is up front. Alexander Isak left the Sweden camp with a thigh problem after scoring against Romania, and Cody Gakpo was taken off after 17 minutes in Belgrade on Sun 27 Sep with an ankle injury. Iraola says it is a question of whether they recover in time. Isak has 5 of Liverpool's 16 goals in their last ten games, and no one else has more than 3.
City have doubts of their own. Erling Haaland asked to come off in Norway's defeat by Portugal on Sun 4 Oct and is being assessed, Antoine Semenyo pulled out of Ghana's squad after the 5–3 win over Sunderland, and Phil Foden is reported to be still suspended after his red card in the derby at Old Trafford. City arrive after an independent commission found them guilty of breaching the league's financial rules, a verdict the club is appealing.
A Liverpool win would cut the gap to three points. A City win would open it to nine. The game turns on the space in front of the Liverpool back four, where Rayan Cherki plays.
Form
Latest →
Liverpool
- 20 SepW1–0at BOUPL
- 15 SepW3–1v TOTLC
- 12 SepD0–0v FULPL
- 9 SepW2–1v ATMUCL
- 4 SepW2–0at IPSPL
Unbeaten in eight since a 3–2 pre-season defeat by Monaco on 9 Aug.
Manchester City
- 20 SepW5–3v SUNPL
- 17 SepW5–0v NORLC
- 13 SepW1–0at MUNPL
- 8 SepW2–0at PORUCL
- 5 SepW1–0v COVPL
Seven wins in a row since losing the Community Shield to Arsenal on 16 Aug.
Latest on the left. PL = Premier League, LC = League Cup, UCL = Champions League. OddsIntel match database, read 7 Oct 2026.
Team news
Liverpool
- DoubtfulAlexander Isak: a thigh problem from Sweden duty; Sweden coach Graham Potter called it ‘not a big one’.(reported)
- DoubtfulCody Gakpo: an ankle injury in Belgrade on Sun 27 Sep; Dutch reporting says several weeks. He started on the right at Bournemouth, so Iraola needs another wide forward.(reported)
- DoubtfulJérémy Jacquet: missed France's win over Belgium on Mon 5 Oct with a strain to his left hamstring. He started at centre-back at Bournemouth.(reported)
Manchester City
- DoubtfulErling Haaland: asked to come off against Portugal on Sun 4 Oct and is being assessed. The biggest call Maresca has to make.(reported)
- DoubtfulAntoine Semenyo: a swollen ankle after the Sunderland game kept him out of Ghana's squad. He started on the left that day.(reported)
- DoubtfulNico O'Reilly: left the England squad after a training injury. He was not in the last XI.(reported)
- OutPhil Foden: still serving the ban from his red card in the derby on 13 Sep, Sky Sports reports.(reported)
Line-ups: confirmed about an hour before kick-off. They'll go under Updates. We don't publish guessed XIs.
Checked Wed 7 Oct 23:40 CEST: liverpoolfc.com, Sky Sports and the Premier League for both sides; BBC Sport (syndicated) and Reuters for Isak and Gakpo; Adom Online for Semenyo; PA for O'Reilly. Reported = not yet confirmed by the club.
All of Liverpool's top scorers started the last game. City's third place is shared by four players on 2 goals each: Semenyo started against Sunderland, but Floyd Samba, Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri did not. Samba, 17, scored both of his on his debut in the League Cup against Norwich, in a much-changed side. The outlets we checked report no injury for Marmoush or Ait-Nouri.
Manchester City 4-2-3-1 · v Sunderland, 20 Sep
- Donnarumma
- NunesDiasGuéhiGvardiol
- E. FernándezAnderson
- NdiayeCherki (key battle)Semenyo
- Haaland
- Isak
- BarcolaWirtzGakpo
- Mac Allister (key battle)Szoboszlai
- Kerkezvan DijkJacquetAraújo
- Alisson
Liverpool 4-2-3-1 · at Bournemouth, 20 Sep
Both last XIs on a pitch
Manchester City 4-2-3-1 · v Sunderland, 20 Sep
- Donnarumma
- NunesDiasGuéhiGvardiol
- E. FernándezAnderson
- NdiayeCherki (key battle)Semenyo
- Haaland
- Isak
- BarcolaWirtzGakpo
- Mac Allister (key battle)Szoboszlai
- Kerkezvan DijkJacquetAraújo
- Alisson
Liverpool 4-2-3-1 · at Bournemouth, 20 Sep
Who to watch
The duel to watch: Rayan Cherki against Alexis Mac Allister. Cherki plays behind Haaland and has 4 goals in City's last ten games. Mac Allister sits in the two in front of the Liverpool back four. If he steps out to meet Cherki, the gap behind him is where City's runners go. If he holds his ground, Cherki gets time on the ball to choose a pass or shoot.
Liverpool
Dominik Szoboszlai
Liverpool need his goals from midfield.
- 3
- goals, Liverpool's last 10
Manchester City
Erling Haaland
City's top scorer over their last ten games.
- 7
- goals, City's last 10
Goals in each side's last ten games, all competitions. OddsIntel match database, read 7 Oct 2026.
Head-to-head
City have won the last three meetings, scoring nine and conceding one, including the 4–0 FA Cup tie in April. Liverpool won the two before that without conceding.
Result for Liverpool
- 4 Apr 2026Manchester City v LiverpoolFA Cup, Manchester4–0L
- 8 Feb 2026Liverpool v Manchester CityPremier League, Liverpool1–2L
- 9 Nov 2025Manchester City v LiverpoolPremier League, Manchester3–0L
- 23 Feb 2025Manchester City v LiverpoolPremier League, Manchester0–2W
- 1 Dec 2024Liverpool v Manchester CityPremier League, Liverpool2–0W
The last five meetings. OddsIntel match database, read 7 Oct 2026.
Numbers that matter
Goals scored, last ten: Liverpool 16.0, Manchester City 26.0 (higher is better)
City score ten more. Liverpool's ten include three pre-season games.
Goals conceded, last five · fewer is better: Liverpool 2.0, Manchester City 3.0 (lower is better)
The surprise: Liverpool have been tighter over these five. All three City conceded came against Sunderland.
Wins, last ten: Liverpool 4.0, Manchester City 9.0 (higher is better)
City lost only the Community Shield. Liverpool drew four.
Last five or ten games each, all competitions and friendlies, as labelled. OddsIntel match database, read 7 Oct 2026.
Our call, explained
We have City winning 2–1. Liverpool's defence is not the problem; scoring is, and the goals may have to come from midfield. City, meanwhile, won the derby at Old Trafford after Foden was sent off, and Cherki gives them goals from behind the striker. Liverpool have scored in 8 of their last 10, so we expect them to score once.
Where this could go wrong. If Liverpool's forwards recover in time, their attack looks very different, and City let in three at home to Sunderland on 20 Sep. City could be the ones short of a striker if Haaland is not ready. If we are wrong, a draw is more likely than a Liverpool win: Iraola's side have drawn three of five in the league.
Updates
Nothing has changed since we published. Next: confirmed line-ups, about an hour before kick-off.
Data note: results, scorers, the table and line-ups from our database (API-Football), read 7 Oct 16:40 UTC; team news and match details from liverpoolfc.com, Sky Sports, the Premier League, BBC Sport, Reuters, Adom Online and PA.