Liverpool vs. Manchester City – EPL, February 7, 2021

Manchester City has a really good chance of putting last season’s disappointment behind it on Sunday as it travels to Anfield to take on the champions, seven points ahead with a game in hand on Jurgen Klopp’s side.

City didn’t begin the season looking particularly fearsome but has really turned up the pressure of late and could make a real statement with a win here.

Liverpool lost again in the week, and there is now a real question over whether it will be able to reclaim the EPL title at the end of the season. City is on a real roll and sits on top of the table, so the oddsmaker’s favorite tag is no surprise. The price for the away win still looks quite attractive, though.

After not losing at home for over 60 games, Liverpool fell at Anfield for the second time in two weeks on Wednesday as Brighton picked up a valuable three points. It could have something to do with the defensive issues at the club – or just the natural end of a long successful run – but there does seem to be some problems at the club.

The entire Liverpool team looked second best against what is a fairly limited, if determined, Brighton. This could be because of fatigue after so many games in a short period of time, but Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that his defensive reinforcements adapt to the Premier League quickly.

Pep Guardiola must be thinking that this is the perfect time to face his old foe, as his Manchester City side picks up some steam on the way to a possible league title. He has been criticized in the past for over-thinking this fixture – so he might be better off just concentrating on doing more of the same on Sunday.

Another big factor that will play in City’s favor will be the lack of fans on the ground. Liverpool’s supporters have played a huge role in backing their own team and intimidating the opposition when it comes to the big games in the EPL. But Manchester City will not have to deal with that this weekend either.

I’m not sure that Liverpool is as bad as home defeats to Burnley and Brighton suggest. But there is no doubt that the champions are looking nowhere near as good this season – in defense and attack – and they are facing a side on the top of its game on Sunday. The away win looks more likely here.