Liverpool vs Man City, Statistical Preview Ahead of Anfield Clash

Historic rivalry reaches 200 games

Liverpool’s latest meeting with Man City carries both immediate consequence and historical weight. Sunday’s 4.30pm GMT kick off at Anfield marks the 200th encounter between the clubs in all competitions, a rivalry that has grown in intensity across eras. Liverpool hold the overall advantage with 95 wins to City’s 53, a record built across decades but reinforced by modern resilience on home soil.

Anfield has remained a formidable arena in this fixture. Liverpool have lost just one of their last 22 Premier League home matches against Man City, winning 14 and drawing seven. That consistency has been particularly sharp in February. Since 2022, the Reds have won all eight of their league games at Anfield in the month, underlining how momentum and atmosphere tend to converge at this stage of the season.

Form guide and resilience metrics

Arne Slot’s side arrive in steady domestic form. Liverpool have lost only one of their last 12 Premier League fixtures, recording five wins and six draws. Their current six match unbeaten run at Anfield stretches back to November, when Nottingham Forest claimed a rare victory on Merseyside.

Recovery remains a defining trait. Since the start of last season, only three teams have earned more Premier League points from losing positions than Liverpool’s 28. When conceding first, their attacking response ranks among the division’s most productive, with only Brighton scoring more goals in such scenarios.

Hugo Ekitike’s debut campaign has added a further attacking layer. The French forward averages a goal involvement every 112 minutes, returning 10 goals and two assists in 1,342 minutes. That is the best first season ratio by a Liverpool player since Mohamed Salah’s remarkable 2017-18 output. Ekitike reached double figures aged 23 years and 225 days, the youngest Red to do so in a league season since Michael Owen in 2000-01.

Salah influence against City

Few players have shaped this fixture like Salah. Fifteen of Liverpool’s last 20 Premier League goals against Man City have been scored or assisted by the Egyptian, nine goals and six assists. He has been involved in more Premier League goals against City than any player in the competition’s history, with 15.

Since joining Liverpool, Salah has registered more direct goal involvements against only Manchester United across all competitions. His recent assist for Florian Wirtz against Newcastle marked his 152nd Premier League goal involvement at Anfield, the highest by any player at a single venue in league history.

Cody Gakpo also approaches a milestone, needing two goals to reach 50 for Liverpool in all competitions.

Man City performance trends

City’s recent record reads curiously. They have lost just one of their last 12 league matches, yet have won only one of their last six. Guardiola’s team lead Liverpool in several attacking metrics this season, including goals scored, shots on target, shooting accuracy, and conversion rate.

A striking split defines their 2026 performances so far. City are the only Premier League side yet to concede a first half goal this calendar year, scoring six themselves. However, they have not scored in the second half of any league match in the same period, conceding six times after the break.

Erling Haaland has scored four goals in nine appearances against Liverpool, though just one came at Anfield, for Red Bull Salzburg in October 2019.