Manchester City arrive at Anfield with a perfect Premier League record, while Liverpool remain unbeaten in the championship and have conceded only four goals. The league leaders face one of their most difficult away tests immediately after the international break.
On October 11 at 21:00 IST, “Liverpool” will face “Manchester City” at “Anfield”. The fixture is played at 16:30 local British time.
Manchester City lead the Premier League with 15 points from five matches. Liverpool have nine points after two victories and three draws and are also unbeaten in the championship.
The recent overall form of both teams is strong. Liverpool have four wins and one draw across their last five official matches, while Manchester City have won five consecutive games and scored 14 goals during that sequence.
Teams Current Form
“Liverpool” form
Liverpool have started the season with a strong defensive base. They remain unbeaten in the Premier League and have conceded only four league goals after five rounds.
Their latest official match ended in a 1-0 away victory against “Bournemouth”. Alexander Isak scored the decisive goal after an attacking move involving Cody Gakpo.
The wider sequence is also positive. Liverpool defeated “Ipswich Town”, “Atlético Madrid”, “Tottenham Hotspur” and “Bournemouth”, with only the goalless draw against “Fulham” preventing a perfect last-five record.
The main concern before Manchester City is the condition of the attacking unit. Gakpo returned early from international duty with an ankle injury, while Isak also left the Swedish camp because of a minor physical problem. Neither player has been officially ruled out, but Gakpo's participation is considered very doubtful, while Isak has a better chance of being available. Both players remain subject to fitness assessments before the match.
“Manchester City” form
Manchester City have made a perfect Premier League start with five victories from five rounds.
Their last league game was unusually open: City defeated “Sunderland” 5-3. Before that, the team had kept four consecutive clean sheets across all competitions while beating “Coventry City”, “Porto”, “Manchester United” and “Norwich City”.
The attack has been highly productive, but the structure behind it has also been reliable in most matches. Enzo Fernández and Elliot Anderson have provided control in midfield, while Rayan Cherki, Iliman Ndiaye and Antoine Semenyo give the team several ways to attack around Erling Haaland.
Haaland asked to be substituted in the 67th minute of Norway’s 2-1 defeat against “Portugal” on October 4. Norway coach Ståle Solbakken explained afterwards that the substitution had been planned in advance as workload management after three consecutive full matches in ten days, rather than a new injury. Haaland has not been ruled out and remains in the potential XI, although City have not published a medical diagnosis.
Manchester City have also been without Phil Foden since his red card for violent conduct in the Manchester derby. The suspension covers three matches and includes this fixture at Anfield.
Probable Lineups
“Liverpool” lineup
4-2-3-1: Alisson, Ronald Araújo, Jérémy Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, Bradley Barcola, Alexander Isak.
This potential lineup reflects Liverpool's available squad options ahead of the Manchester City clash. However, several players remain subject to fitness assessments following the international break, and changes may be required before the starting XI is confirmed.
Cody Gakpo is very doubtful after suffering an ankle injury on international duty, with Víctor Muñoz a potential replacement if he is unavailable. Alexander Isak is also being assessed following a minor thigh problem. Jérémy Jacquet is another fitness concern after reportedly missing France's match against Belgium with a suspected hamstring injury. None of these players should be treated as a confirmed starter until their availability is clarified.
Antoine Semenyo started that match but withdrew from Ghana duty with a swollen leg and is listed as a doubt. If he is not cleared, Jeremy Doku is the natural replacement on the left. Erling Haaland is also being monitored after his early substitution for Norway, although the Norwegian federation described it as planned workload management rather than an injury. Phil Foden is suspended and was already unavailable for the Sunderland match.
Who will not play
For “Liverpool”, Hugo Ekitike remains unavailable because of an Achilles injury and is not expected back until around December. Conor Bradley is sidelined with a knee injury until late November.
Giovanni Leoni is a long-term absentee after an anterior cruciate ligament injury, while Federico Chiesa remains out with a back problem.
Cody Gakpo suffered an ankle injury while playing for the Netherlands against “Serbia” and returned to Liverpool for assessment. Reported recovery estimates place him at one to two weeks, making his participation very doubtful.
Alexander Isak returned early from Sweden duty with what the club described as a minor thigh problem. He is under assessment and is considered more likely than Gakpo to be involved. Jérémy Jacquet is also a fitness doubt after reportedly missing France's Nations League match against Belgium with a suspected hamstring injury. His availability against Manchester City remains uncertain.
For “Manchester City”, Phil Foden is suspended following his red card for violent conduct in the Manchester derby. The three-match ban covers this fixture.
Antoine Semenyo withdrew from Ghana duty with a swollen leg after picking up the problem against “Sunderland” and is a doubt. Nico O’Reilly is also a doubt after a fitness issue on international duty with England.
Erling Haaland is being monitored after asking to be substituted for Norway, although his coach described the change as planned workload management. He has not been ruled out.
The most accurate information on the final starting lineups will be available immediately before the meeting.
Statistics for the Last 5 Matches
“Liverpool”
20.09.26, EPL: Bournemouth 0-1 Liverpool
15.09.26, EFL Cup: Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur
12.09.26, EPL: Liverpool 0-0 Fulham
09.09.26, UEFA Champions League: Liverpool 2-1 Atlético Madrid
04.09.26, EPL: Ipswich Town 0-2 Liverpool
In the last five official matches, “Liverpool” have 4 wins and 1 draw. The team scored 8 goals and conceded 2.
“Manchester City”
20.09.26, EPL: Manchester City 5-3 Sunderland
17.09.26, EFL Cup: Manchester City 5-0 Norwich City
13.09.26, EPL: Manchester United 0-1 Manchester City
08.09.26, UEFA Champions League: Porto 0-2 Manchester City
05.09.26, EPL: Manchester City 1-0 Coventry City
In the last five official matches, “Manchester City” have 5 wins. The team scored 14 goals and conceded 3.
Head-to-Head Statistics
04.04.26, FA Cup: Manchester City 4-0 Liverpool
08.02.26, EPL: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester City
09.11.25, EPL: Manchester City 3-0 Liverpool
23.02.25, EPL: Manchester City 0-2 Liverpool
01.12.24, EPL: Liverpool 2-0 Manchester City
In the last five official head-to-head matches, “Manchester City” have 3 wins and “Liverpool” have 2 wins. There were no draws. Manchester City scored 9 goals and Liverpool scored 5.
Main prediction for the “Liverpool” - “Manchester City” game
Liverpool – Manchester City: forecast on event 11 October 2026
Manchester City double chance
City enter the match with five wins from five Premier League rounds and have also won each of their last five official games.
The recent head-to-head record is another advantage. Manchester City have won the last three competitive meetings with Liverpool, including a 4-0 FA Cup victory in April.
Liverpool’s own form makes a straight City win unnecessarily aggressive. The hosts are unbeaten in the league and have conceded only two goals across their latest five official matches.
The double-chance market therefore protects against a draw while still reflecting Manchester City’s perfect league start and their recent advantage in this fixture.
For
Additional predictions
Liverpool – Manchester City: forecast on event 11 October 2026
Total under 3.5 goals
Four of Liverpool’s last five official matches finished with no more than three goals, and the Reds conceded only twice across that sequence.
Four of the last five competitive head-to-head meetings also stayed below four total goals. The only exception was Manchester City’s 4-0 FA Cup victory.
City are capable of producing a high-scoring match, as the 5-3 victory against Sunderland demonstrated, but Liverpool’s recent defensive record at least provides a strong argument for a more controlled game at Anfield.
