Manchester City – Liverpool

In Manchester, fans will not see a large number of goals.

The central match of the eleventh matchday of the Premier League will take place at the Manchester stadium 'Etihad'. Here, clubs with somewhat similar fates in recent years will meet. The only difference is that similar processes began in them a year apart. Last autumn was a crisis for Manchester City. The team needed a restructuring. Given the ambitions of the Manchester club, Pep Guardiola had to take urgent measures during the second half of the past season and adjust them in the off-season. A positive outcome for City was maintaining their participation in the Champions League and resuming the fight for the championship title in the new season, whereas a negative outcome was the complete absence of trophies in the previous football year. Liverpool found themselves in a similar crisis period in October of this year. So far, no one has counted the 'Reds' out, but they have lost their status as favourites in both the Champions League and the Premier League. Unlike the crisis at Manchester City, the reason for what is happening at Liverpool is not a 'decline' of the players, but a large number of new expensive signings from whom results are expected here and now. Not every even brilliant footballer can cope with such pressure. Bookmakers have made the home team the favourites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 1.93 for their victory. Manchester City in the current season is far from flawless. However, progress within the 'Citizens' is noticeable and the dynamics of their form is positive, even despite a recent defeat in Birmingham. Currently, Guardiola's team is in second place in the Premier League, trailing a large group of pursuers behind Arsenal. Liverpool is next in this group, just one point behind their upcoming opponent. Arne Slot's charges alternate defeats to Crystal Palace and Brentford with victories over Aston Villa and Real Madrid. The Dutch coach himself struggles to explain what is happening, but in the Merseyside club, no one is dramatizing the situation yet. The last four encounters between Manchester City and Liverpool ended with a maximum of two goals scored. Considering the decisive period in which the upcoming match will take place, one should not expect an abundance of goals.