Manchester City welcome Liverpool to the Etihad Stadium for a Carabao Cup clash on Thursday, with Pep Guardiola's side making their return to action after the break in the domestic campaign.
The Blues, who last beat the Merseyside club in February 2021, suffered a surprise defeat to Brentford in their final outing before the World Cup in Qatar. Bees frontman Ivan Toney scored a late winner for the London outfit, but City still went into the mid-season break second in the Premier League table.
Guardiola's side defeated Girona in a friendly match at the Academy Stadium at the weekend, with Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne both on target for the home side. The Blues boss was able to field a strong side for the game, with several of his players having exited the World Cup ahead of the semi-finals and final.
