Arsenal currently leads the Premier League, holding a six-point advantage over their closest competitors. Manchester City and Liverpool are in pursuit,
separated by just one point in second and third places. Both teams secured wins in the Champions League midweek, with City defeating Borussia Dortmund 4-1 and Liverpool overcoming Real Madrid 1-0. This sets the stage for their upcoming clash at Etihad Stadium.
The Opta supercomputer predicts a slight edge for Manchester City in their upcoming match against Liverpool. Out of 10,000 simulations, City won 46.9% of the time, while Liverpool claimed victory in 26.7%, with the remaining 26.4% ending in a draw. The supercomputer also anticipates City finishing above Liverpool this season.
Arsenal is heavily favoured to win the league title, achieving this in 71.5% of season simulations. Manchester City is projected to finish second most frequently at 30.8%, while Liverpool's chances of being runners-up stand at 26.8%. City's odds of topping the table are at 13.5%, compared to Liverpool's 9.7%.
Manchester City lost both Premier League matches against Liverpool last season with a scoreline of 2-0 each time. Guardiola has only experienced three consecutive games without scoring against a particular team once before, against Manchester United in 2020.
Erling Haaland is nearing a significant milestone as he aims to reach 100 Premier League goals. He currently has 98 goals from 107 appearances and could break Alan Shearer's record of reaching this mark in just 124 games if he scores twice against Liverpool.
Haaland has scored in each of his last four Premier League games at Etihad Stadium, netting two goals per match. Despite his impressive form, he has struggled against Liverpool, scoring only once in four league encounters with them.
Salah's Record Pursuit
Liverpool ended a four-game losing streak with Mohamed Salah scoring his 250th goal for the club against Aston Villa last week. Salah now stands on the brink of another record, having contributed to 276 goals (188 goals and 88 assists) for Liverpool in the Premier League.
Salah aims to surpass Wayne Rooney's record for goal involvements with a single club when facing Manchester City, an opponent he has excelled against historically with nine goals and six assists.
Key Players to Watch
Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch returned from injury recently and played a crucial role in their win over Villa and Madrid. Since January, Liverpool has won more games when Gravenberch plays than when he doesn't.
For Manchester City, Rayan Cherki has been making an impact alongside Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku. Cherki provided two assists against Bournemouth and scored late against Dortmund, contributing significantly to City's recent successes.
Liverpool's main challenge this season hasn't been scoring but defending long balls effectively. However, this might not be an issue against City due to their slower build-up play compared to other teams like Crystal Palace and Brentford who have beaten Liverpool recently.
