English Premier League leaders Liverpool take on Manchester City an Anfield today with the opportunity to open up an 11-point gap at the top of the table.
These two teams have come to define an era of the EPL over the last few years, though today is the first meeting between Pep Guardiola and new Liverpool coach Arne Slot.
And the situation could hardly be more different for each club, with Liverpool having been in superb form since its only loss of the season so far – against Nottingham Forest in September.
The Reds have won 14 of their last 15 matches, while Guardiola’s side are without a win in their last six games, having lost five and drawn one.
But despite a poor run of recent form, City has the chance to turn things around with a statement win at Anfield, with the possibility of cutting the gap to just five points while getting its season back on track.
You can follow all the latest build-up, team news and updates below:
Liverpool vs Man City EPL updates
- Kick-off time: 11am EST/8am PST
- US TV channel: Peacock
Liverpool FC 1 - 0 Manchester City FC
HALF-TIME! Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:49 , Chris Wilson48 mins
HALF-TIME!
The referee brings the first half to an end and Liverpool go in ahead at the break, though City are still in this (barely).
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:48 , Chris Wilson46 mins
The corner comes to nothing as Szoboszlai squares it to Alexander-Arnold, who fires well over from distance.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:47 , Chris Wilson45 mins
There’ll be three minutes of added time here, as a Liverpool counter is stopped as Ake intercepts Diaz’s pass. Moments later, Salah runs at the Dutchman again and wins a corner.
Akanji is another player into the referee’s book, after a late challenge of his own.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:46 , Chris Wilson44 mins
City are enjoying more possession over the last few minutes, but they can’t make anything of it yet. It’s all a bit static at the moment.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:43 , Chris Wilson41 mins
The match has certainly settled down now as we approach half-time, but little has changed in terms of Liverpool’s overall control.
The hosts have obviously not been able to keep up the same level of early pressing, but they’re limiting City whenever they do have it.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:40 , Chris Wilson39 mins
Home fans want a penalty as Gakpo goes down when trying to control a long pass, but the referee waves it away.
City have a chance to get forward and Gundogan slips it to Haaland, who squares it to Lewis. He sees the space open up in front of him and opts to shoot, but it’s a tame effort that dribbles wide.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:38 , Chris Wilson37 mins
It was a chance to get the ball into the box for City but it’s so poor, as they play it short and then dawdle on it before Walker clips a long ball to nobody.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:36 , Chris Wilson36 mins
Nice play from Gakpo as he picks it up and manages to get around Walker, but he loses his balance as he tries to cut it back. On the counter, Gravenberch brings down Gundogan, and the Dutchman is the latest to be booked.
ANALYSIS: Manchester City restore sense of calm - Liverpool must make dominance count
16:35 , Miguel Delaney at AnfieldIt's hard to think of too many occasions, even one, when someone has done this to a Pep Guardiola team. Liverpool have just dominated Manchester City like Pep Guardiola's initial Barcelona team, from the possession to the pressing.
City have managed to calm things a bit, but only a bit. It could easily be 4-0 to Liverpool and that wouldn't be any way undeserved. The first 20 minutes was remarkable football, where the champions just couldn't live with Liverpool's energy. That has inevitably dissipated in the natural ebb and flow of games, but there's just constantly that danger for City that Liverpool can just rev up. Against that, City haven't had a shot and have barely had a meaningful touch in the box. For one, when Erling Haaland finally looked like he might make something happen, Virgil van Dijk easily nicked the ball away. The Liverpool centre-half has offered much more of a goal threat, particularly two his two close headers from set-pieces. There is maybe just that slight sense, however, that Liverpool need to make this utter dominance really count so there's no risk.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:35 , Chris Wilson34 mins
Salah wins another corner and this one is headed away, falling to Alexander-Arnold on the edge of the box. He brings it down well and fires a shot from distance that clips the bottom of the post!
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:33 , Chris Wilson32 mins
The attacking play has been a bit more measured from Liverpool over the last 10 minutes (rather than waiting to pounce on the counter), though Foden gets a yellow card for stopping Gravenberch on the counter by pulling him back.
It’s less frantic than before, but still comfortable for the hosts.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:31 , Chris Wilson29 mins
City have definitely settled in possession now, though they haven’t created anything in attack. Liverpool look so dangerous on the break too. They win it back high up the pitch again and Alexandr-Arnold opts to shoot from just outside the box, but Akanji makes the block.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:27 , Chris Wilson27 mins
Van Dijk does well in his first tussle with Haaland, winning the ball off him as the Norwegian dribbled towards the edge of the box. City have settled somewhat in the last few minutes, but they’re coming under plenty of pressure with the home side’s high press.
City get forward but Foden can’t find the pass in the opposition box.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:25 , Chris Wilson25 mins
City do get forward, led by Nunes down the left, but he has it taken off his foot by Alexander-Arnold. When chasing back, Nunes slides in from behind and gets an early booking.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:24 , Chris Wilson24 mins
Nunes is chasing down Alexander-Arnold in the Liverpool box but the full-back manages to get it clear.
The home side have had 45 touches in the final third, compared to City’s five.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:22 , Chris Wilson21 mins
It’s still all Liverpool at the moment, with Robertson the latest to fly forward and win a corner.
No shots yet for the away side – they’ve not even come close to one.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:20 , Chris Wilson19 mins
Another chance for the hosts as Salah, Diaz and Alexander-Arnold combine in the box to set the latter free. He squares a short pass to Gakpo in the box, but he hooks an effort well over.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:19 , Chris Wilson17 mins
Alexander-Arnold has the ball in his own box and he picks out a superb 70-yard pass right into the path of Gakpo, but Ake does well to lunge and clear for a corner.
From the set-piece, van Dijk climbs highest again, but he can only power a header wide of the near post.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:16 , Jack RathbornAfter a breathtaking 10 minutes, our senior football correspondent Richard Jolly has the latest from Anfield:
For 10 minutes, Manchester City were battered by Liverpool yet did not come close to conceding. Then Virgil van Dijk hit the post. Then Cody Gakpo scored and the ferocious pace at which Liverpool started took its toll. But some of these City players lack pace and Liverpool seem determined to make their physical advantage tell. City's lack of a proper defensive midfielder is apparent in the freedom Dominik Szoboszlai is enjoying while the plan of using Nathan Ake against Salah backfired when Manuel Akanji was the nearest man to him - but not near enough - when he crossed for Gakpo. Quite a week for Gakpo, too, with goals against Real Madrid and City within a few days.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:15 , Chris Wilson14 mins
What a start from Liverpool, and their early pressure pays off. Even this early on, it’s hard to see City recovering, such has been the flow of the game.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
16:14 , Chris Wilson12 mins
Moments after van Dijk rattles the post with a header, the home side are ahead!
Liverpool recycle possession from that chance and they come again, with Salah latching onto a long diagonal pass. He drives into the area, looks up and plays a lovely cross into the area between the defenders and Ortega – it falls to Gakpo at the back post, and he taps in for 1-0!
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester City
16:11 , Chris Wilson10 mins
It’s the hosts doing all the attacking in the opening stages, with Szoboszlai the latest to test Ortega with an effort from distance, before Alexander-Arnold wins a corner.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester City
16:10 , Chris Wilson8 mins
City are struggling to keep the ball when they do have it – Liverpool have made a lightning-quick start, with the visitors looking shaky.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester City
16:08 , Chris Wilson7 mins
Another chance for the home side as Akanji gives the ball straight to Gravenberch, but it’s another shot straight at Ortega.
The hosts have started brighter here, and city haven’t managed to settle yet.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester City
16:07 , Chris Wilson6 mins
Dias does well to win his first tussle with Salah, but his clearance is straight back to the hosts. Szoboszlai drives in a low cross, but there are too many bodies in the box for Diaz to find a shooting chance.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester City
16:06 , Chris Wilson4 mins
First good chance of the match as Liverpool pounce to win possession in midfield and Diaz slides it to Gakpo. He cuts back and eventually forces a good save from Ortega, but he’d strayed offside anyway.
Warning signs for City.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester City
16:03 , Chris Wilson2 mins
Liverpool have the first half-chance of the match as Salah clips in a diagonal cross, but it runs out of play.
The home sides have made a quick start, applying plenty of pressure.
KICK-OFF! Liverpool 0-0 Manchester City
16:01 , Chris WilsonThe home side get us underway at Anfield! What a game we could have in store here.
Liverpool vs Manchester City LIVE
15:56 , Chris WilsonBoth sides are coming out of the tunnel at Anfield, so we’re only a few minutes away from kick-off.
City have lost their last three Premier League games, as many as they had in their previous 47 combined (W35 D9). They last lost four consecutive league games between April-August 2008.
In his managerial career, Pep Guardiola has only lost more games against Tottenham (9) than he has against Liverpool (8). He’s won just six of his 22 meetings with the Reds (27 per cent), which is his lowest win rate against any side he’s faced more than five times in all competitions.
The inspiration at heart of Arne Slot and Pep Guardiola’s new rivalry
15:47 , Chris WilsonArne Slot liked what he heard and then what he saw. He had tuned in on Tuesday. He had a personal and a professional interest when his former club visited his next opponents. “What made this game special for me was more sitting at home, putting the volume up and hearing the Feyenoord fans singing my name,” he said. “That’s the biggest compliment you can get if you leave a club, that the fans still like you.”
The team that Slot built then shocked the side he will face on Sunday. Manchester City were seemingly heading to Anfield this weekend with a restorative win. Then came a comeback for the ages and for the watching Slot: no side had been 3-0 down that late in a European Cup game and avoided defeat. “For me as a Feyenoord fan, I could hardly believe what I saw,” said Slot.
“At 3-1 you thought, ‘OK…’ but then City took control again. Then it was 3-2 and then 3-3. You don’t see this very often. It was the first time in the history of the Champions League this has happened.” It prompted Slot to get in touch with some old friends. “I spoke to more than a few people to congratulate them but it was not in a tactical manner,” he said.
The inspiration at heart of Arne Slot and Pep Guardiola’s new rivalry
Liverpool vs Manchester City
15:43 , Jack RathbornOur reporter Richard Jolly is at Anfield with some insight into the team news:
Pep Guardiola's team selection may have an element of punishment. Josko Gvardiol was at fault, to varying degrees, for Feyenoord's first two goals, Ederson for the third. Both are dropped. If Ruben Dias' return is the best news City have had for a while, Nathan Ake could have a huge job against Mohamed Salah.
Team news - Manchester City
14:50 , Harry Latham-CoylePep Guardiola swings the selection scythe with goalkeeper Ederson only on the bench as Stefan Ortega is given a big opportunity. Rico Lewis looks likely to occupy the Rodri role.
Manchester City XI: Ortega; Walker, Akanji, Dias, Ake; Lewis, Gundogan, Nunes; Bernardo, Haaland, Foden.
Your City side for #LIVMCI 🩵
— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 1, 2024
XI | Ortega Moreno, Walker (C), Akanji, Dias, Ake, Lewis, Gundogan, Nunes, Bernardo, Foden, Haaland
SUBS | Ederson, Carson, Grealish, Doku, De Bruyne, Gvardiol, Savinho, O'Reilly, McAtee
#ManCity | @etihad pic.twitter.com/v5dHmGN3V4
Team news - Liverpool
14:48 , Harry Latham-CoyleWith no Ibrahima Konate, it is Joe Gomez to partner Virgil van Dijk in the heart of a Liverpool defence that also includes Trent Alexander-Arnold. Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo both start in the front three.
Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
Team news is in 👊🔴 #LIVMCI pic.twitter.com/fluG0mAkcy
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 1, 2024
