Football tips: A punchy 22/1 punt for your FREE £/€5 Man City v Liverpool Bet Builder

Our footie tipster Andrew Beasley can't get off the fence for this one.

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change

The ‘eight games to go’ mark should be too early for a potential title decider but then these are no ordinary teams.

Manchester City and Liverpool will be favourites for their remaining seven league matches this season and while that doesn’t mean they will automatically win them all, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they did.

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Pep Guardiola’s side hold a one-point advantage over the Reds and have the easier run-in with this their final league match against one of the Premier League’s big six clubs.

But City have dropped points home and away against three teams already this season so as they drew at Anfield in October they can’t possibly win here, right?

Man City v Liverpool – Sunday, April 10: 4.30pm
Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Premier League

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The Draw

Of course they can, and they are understandably favourites to do so. They will be helped by Liverpool’s poor record at the Etihad in the Pep era. Jurgen Klopp’s boys have been beaten 5-0 and 4-0 in the last five years, though they had Sadio Mane sent off in the first half of the former and were probably still wasted from their title celebrations for the latter.

In between those two games was a 2-1 home win, in which Liverpool would have taken the lead but for the 11mm of the ball which did not cross the line. The corresponding fixture ended 1-1 last season, with the second half petering out as two tired looking teams settled for a point apiece.

Thanks to their Champions League exertions last Tuesday this match could be similar (though Liverpool have the easier of the European tasks to come on Wednesday). City will be happy enough with a point, to keep the title in their hands and out of Liverpool’s, while Klopp won’t want the gap between the sides growing any further.

His team can draw upon their Champions League win at the Etihad in 2018 for inspiration, which took place exactly four years prior to this match, omen fans. As Liverpool are the only unbeaten side in the big six mini league this season – featuring in four of the five draws – they can head home to Merseyside with a point.

Both Teams to Score

With the fire power these teams possess, it’s unlikely to be a bore draw. Since the summer of 2016 when Guardiola arrived in Manchester, his side have had just eight 0-0 draws in the league, while Liverpool have had 13, none for over a year and none in front of fans since March 2019.

These teams did play out a goalless draw at Anfield four years ago, but it wouldn’t have been had Riyad Mahrez known penalties are supposed to be hit under the bar rather than over it (and he has since realised, in fairness). As good as their defences are, this match sees the highest scoring home team in 2021/22 hosting the side with the most goals on the road. Both team scoring looks a cert.

Mohamed Salah to Score Anytime

Goal scorer bets are always tricky for City games. Is this the match where Pep finally flips and sticks Fernandinho and Ederson up front?

Mohamed Salah will certainly play, as he was withdrawn after an hour of Liverpool’s 3-1 win at Benfica. The Egyptian king is on a goal drought, but he’s missed his last seven clear-cut chances and that run can’t continue forever. Salah can end his slump with a goal on Sunday.

Under 10.5 Corners

The corner stats for this season imply we should go high in the market for this game. No team has played more Premier League matches in which there were at least 11 corners than the Reds, while City have had at least 65 corners more than any team that isn’t called Liverpool.

However, there are usually very few corners when these team meet. The last three clashes at the Etihad have seen just 12 corners in total, never mind having around that many each time. These sides are too well coached to take poorly selected shots which rebound for corners, so don’t expect too many. Go for under 10.5 here.

Over 3.5 Cards

The relationship these sides hold with cards is the inverse of corners. Only West Ham’s matches have seen fewer cards on average than the games played by City and Liverpool in 2021/22. Yet there’s often plenty when they face each other. Top of the table clashes have an intensity which routine wins over Premier League strugglers rarely do. The reverse fixture at Anfield was one of just four Reds matches this season in which there were at least six bookings, and City have been involved in the same number. The last five meetings have all seen at least four yellow cards too.

Liverpool fans were underwhelmed to see the Mancunian pairing of Anthony Taylor and Paul Tierney assigned refereeing and VAR duty respectively. Yet the former has given more penalties against City than for them, and more to the Reds than any other side. Big bald Tony T averages 3.4 cards per match so over 3.5 here looks guaranteed.

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change

Man City v Liverpool Bet Builder tips:

The Draw
Both Teams to Score
Mohamed Salah to Score Anytime
Under 10.5 Corners
Over 3.5 Cards

*A Bet Builder with these four bets pays at approximately 22/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.

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