Liverpool v Manchester City preview: Anfield team news and prediction
Liverpool will host Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday, October 11, 2026, in a Premier League 2026-27 fixture, with kick-off scheduled for 4:30 PM BST (9:00 PM IST). Both clubs enter the match seeking to consolidate their positions early in the title race.
The fixture has regularly produced high-intensity contests, with individual battles in midfield and the final third often proving decisive. Both squads possess quality across multiple positions, and the result could affect the Premier League standings. Recent form and availability are therefore central to pre-match assessments.
Liverpool face several injury concerns heading into the game: Alexander Isak is a major doubt after returning from international duty with a thigh injury and Cody Gakpo is dealing with an ankle problem, with both players reported to have missed training on Thursday. Hugo Ekitike remains unavailable with an Achilles injury and Conor Bradley is sidelined with a knee problem. Federico Chiesa has returned to training after a back injury and could be considered for selection. Jérémy Jacquet is also listed as a doubt with a hamstring issue.
Florian Wirtz is expected to operate in a creative role behind Liverpool’s forwards, with his capacity to find space between midfield and defensive lines noted as potentially important against Manchester City’s press, particularly if Liverpool are without key attackers. Should Isak and Gakpo be unavailable, Liverpool may reshuffle their attack, with Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz and Victor Muñoz among the potential options cited.
Manchester City will be without Phil Foden, who is serving the final match of his suspension following his sending-off in the Manchester derby. Nico O’Reilly is a doubt after withdrawing from international duty with an injury concern, and Antoine Semenyo is also a doubt after reporting ankle inflammation while on international duty. Jeremy Doku is mentioned as a possible wide alternative if Semenyo cannot play. Erling Haaland is expected to lead City’s attack; his early substitution for Norway during the international break was reported as planned rather than injury-related.
Manchester City’s perfect start to the season and their recent record against Liverpool are cited as giving them a narrow edge, while Anfield and Liverpool’s unbeaten run make the fixture hard to call amid the current injury lists. Both teams’ availability issues are therefore highlighted in pre-match evaluations. Prediction: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester City.
The article lists the following players: Alisson Becker, Ronald Araújo, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Victor Muñoz, Florian Wirtz, Bradley Barcola, Rio Ngumoha. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Marc Guéhi, Joško Gvardiol, Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernández, Rayan Cherki, Iliman Ndiaye, Jérémy Doku, Erling Haaland.
Television and streaming arrangements for the match are: United States — NBC Sports 4K, NBC, Peacock and Telemundo; United Kingdom — Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports+ app, NOW and Sky Sports UHD 1; India — Star Sports Select 1 and JioHotstar. For additional coverage and updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or via the Khel Now Android App, IOS App and Telegram.