Newly-crowned Premier League
champions Liverpool will play for the first time since sealing the
title. Who better to give them a guard of honour than Manchester City,
their title rivals who have surrendered their crown after two years?
Pep
Guardiola’s side will not enjoy doing it and you can be sure that they
will be back even stronger next season. This is their first chance to
get some immediate revenge on Jurgen Klopp’s side and to also bounce
back from their defeat at Chelsea.
They do not lose too often and
when they do, they usually come out firing in the next game, so
hopefully we have a blockbuster rather than a dead rubber on Thursday
evening.
Liverpool did their celebrating before returning to
training on Saturday and Klopp will not let them take their foot off the
gas just yet. Will they go for a points record?
Or will they give youngsters a chance and rest their stars for next
season? Who knows just yet, but they should be close to full strength
for the short trip to the Etihad to face their rivals of recent years.
Deciding
the outcome of this one can always be tricky. The last few years have
brought a variety of results. Four wins for Liverpool in their last
seven meetings (Premier League and Champions League), two for City
(including a 5-0) and a draw, so Klopp has got the edge over Guardiola
of late.
Liverpool being Liverpool, City being so good going
forward yet still showing defensive frailties…from weighing up the
various angles, it feels best that the betting is focused on markets
which do not rely on the final outcome.
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| Liverpool ended their 30-year wait for a league title by winning the Premier League |
are so many possible goalscorers too that the market has some
attractive prices in, especially in the City camp – Riyad Mahrez at 5/2,
Kevin De Bruyne 11/4, Bernardo Silva 4/1. So many. But the preference
is to look at the corners.
These are two sides who make the top three for corners taken this season:
- Man City (247)
- Chelsea (213)
- Liverpool (203)
City
average around eight per game and with the chance creation, you can
expect them to rack up a handful of set pieces at the Etihad. They had
seven at Chelsea last week and in this reverse fixture at Anfield, City
were ahead on corners 13-4.
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| Man City v Liverpool betting stats ahead of Premier League game at the Etihad |
average just under seven but with their attack and City’s shaky
defence, they are going to get opportunities and surely pile on the
pressure from set pieces. Providing it is not a match based on a
midfield battle – October 2018’s 0-0 at Anfield comes to mind – we could
see plenty at both ends here.
shade under 2/1 looks worth taking in that case, as does Man City -2 on
the corner handicap at around evens. City are *usually* corner kings.
side, despite the defeat at Stamford Bridge, have looked sharp since
returning from the enforced break. Defensive frailties were ultimately
their undoing in London. They will have to be at their best at both ends
for the full 90 against the champions here.
