ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE : Liverpool are still the overwhelming favorites to win the Premier League, but after taking just five points from their past three games, things aren't looking as clear-cut.
Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa and Sunday's 2-1 hard-fought win against Wolverhampton have cast doubt over Arne Slot's team.
While they still stand eight points clear of Arsenal, the Gunners now have a game in hand and will look to make a last-ditch push.
The Reds will have their work cut out for them if they want to wrap up their dream season. Liverpool has the toughest run-in with 13 games left to play.
It doesn't help that the Reds have failed to secure a win in their past eight visits to the Etihad Stadium (four draws and four losses). Their last win in this fixture came in 2015.
The good news for Slot is that he can count on almost the entire squad, with Joe Gomez (hamstring injury) being the only one sidelined.
Pep Guardiola's team is probably as eager as anyone to spoil Slot's party. For the Reds, it's a must-win affair to keep Arsenal at arms' length.
This is the first time Manchester City has been an underdog at home this season, but Liverpool isn't an overwhelming favorite either.
Pep Guardiola's team is out of the UEFA Champions League after Kylian Mbappé‘s hat-trick wrapped up their series against Real Madrid in Europe. This is the first time the Spanish coach has been eliminated from the competition before the round of 16.
However, things are changing on home soil. Only Liverpool and Arsenal have won more points than City since Christmas, a massive improvement on the four they captured in the eight games prior to that date.
The Citizens Last week's battering of Newcastle United hinted that the dog days may be over for Guardiola's team.
And that comes at a good time. City, sitting in fourth, are just seven points away from 10th, so any slip-up could spell the end of the European push.
Erling Haaland (knee), John Stones (hip), Oscar Bobb (fitness) and Jack Grealish (groin) are all in doubt, so Guardiola will have his work cut to keep this newfound mojo going.
City now only have the FA Cup to play for and a top-four finish, but they still have world-class players who can win a game on their own.
Liverpool have only won once at the Etihad in the last 15 years in the league, summing up their struggles there.
Since October 2008, the only victory in that time was a 4-1 triumph in November 2015, with Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino among the goalscorers on Jurgen Klopp‘s first visit to the ground.
Liverpool have won at City in other competitions in that time, however, including the memorable 2-1 victory in the Champions League quarter-final second leg in 2017/18.
This Evening's clash at Etihad Stadium is expected to be a hotly contested affair with Liverpool Banking on Mohamed Salah's Current Form. Haaland's availability on the other hand, may very well determine whether the champions can indeed get something out of Sunday's blockbuster battle.