Football betting tips: Premier League
0.5pt Liverpool to win and under 2.5 goals at 13/2 (bet365)
1pt Dominik Szoboszlai to score anytime at 11/2 (Ladbrokes, Coral)
0.5pt Szoboszlai to score from outside the box at 12/1 (William Hill)
1pt Enzo Fernandez to be shown a card at 7/2 (bet365)
1pt Alexis Mac Allister to be shown a card at 11/4 (bet365)
0.5pt Fernandez and Mac Allister to be carded at 11/1 (General)
God bless the fixture computer.
It would have been difficult to schedule a better Super Sunday for the first round of matches since Manchester City were found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League, as City visit the club most directly impacted by their rule-breaking.
Liverpool have been runners-up to Man City three times since 2009-10. Under Jurgen Klopp they twice fell short with hauls of 97 and 92 points.
Even at the height of City's now sullied domination of English football, Anfield has not been a happy hunting ground. Pep Guardiola's greatest teams simply couldn't cope with the often overwhelming, febrile atmosphere created by the home supporters.
Expect that to reach fever pitch on Sunday as Enzo Maresca's comparatively inexperienced XI takes to the field.
City dramatically won here in February thanks to 84th and 93rd-minute goals in a match that ended in utter chaos when Dominik Szoboszlai was sent off in the 113th minute following a lengthy VAR review that also saw a second Erling Haaland goal ruled out.
That was Guardiola’s first win at Liverpool in 10 attempts with fans in the stadium (D3 L6), with his only other victory as City boss coming in 2021 when the match was played behind closed doors.
Their struggles stretch to long before the Catalan's time at the club. Stretching back to 2003 City are W2 D8 L15 at Anfield.
And yet despite the circus playing out off the field, they are favourites.
The hosts have problems of their own.
Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak were injured during the international break, joining long-term absentee Hugo Ekitike to leave the Reds with the out of favour Federico Chiesa as their only fit senior striker. Of the 12 goals Liverpool have scored this season, eight have been scored or assisted by Gakpo or Isak. The pair have already combined for 11 goal contributions, making their absence a significant blow.
The inexperienced Lewis Koumas looks likeliest to start up front after some athletic early-season performances. The 21-year-old has scored just 11 goals in 99 senior appearances, most of which have been in the Championship.
This disruption makes backing LIVERPOOL at 9/5 tricky, but their defensive improvement under Andoni Iraola offers encouragement. He remains unbeaten (W4 D3) and the integration of Ronald Araujo at right-back has provided the team with a far better platform.
With Araujo in the side, Liverpool have conceded just once in four matches, allowing an xGA per 90 of 0.77. Without him, they have conceded five in three games, with that xGA figure rising to 2.04.
Keeping out a Manchester City team packed with attacking quality will be a tougher challenge than anything they have faced so far.
Enzo Maresca’s men have won seven straight matches, scoring 20 goals. They have scored at least twice on five occasions and four or more on three.
That has come at a cost. Sunderland exposed their frailties before the international break, scoring three times (xG: 3.57) in a thrilling game Maresca said he didn't enjoy because of their "lack of control."
BTTS and overs are painfully short at 1/2 and 4/7 respectively. With so much uncertainty, taking a swing at LIVERPOOL TO WIN & UNDER 2.5 GOALS is advised at 13/2.
Liverpool’s injury issues mean they'll be more reliant than ever on SZOBOSZLAI.
The midfielder has picked up where he left off last season, scoring three times already in all competitions. A stunning 30-yard strike, close-range finish and penalty highlight the variety of threats he offers.
The Hungary captain finished last term with 25 goal contributions (13 goals, 12 assists). He is yet to assist a team-mate this season, and his underlying numbers don’t justify him being significantly shorter to provide one (4/1) than TO SCORE ANYTIME (11/2).
His penchant for shooting from distance and role as free-kick taker also make him TO SCORE FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX at 12/1 worth a small bet.
Eight of his 16 goals since the start of 2025/26 have been from distance, including in this fixture last season.
The thoroughly unlikeable ENZO FERNANDEZ should get some stick from the home crowd, increasing the chances of him BEING SHOWN A CARD.
He went in the book at Old Trafford for the first time as a City player having been very fortunate to avoid one in his opening few appearances. Given the context, he looks too big at 7/2 based on his record of 14 cards in 54 games for Chelsea last term.
Fernandez will also come up against Argentina team-mate ALEXIS MAC ALLISTER in midfield, another who rarely escapes the referee’s attention.
Mac Allister has been carded twice in five starts this season. He collected 10 across the top flight and Champions League in 25/26, saving himself for the bigger fixtures.
He was booked against Real Madrid, Man City, Tottenham, Arsenal, Newcastle, PSG (twice), Chelsea and former club Brighton.
Fernandez is similarly fond of a booking in the big games, having his name taken against Man United, Tottenham, Aston Villa (twice), Man City (twice), Arsenal, Liverpool and former club Benfica.
He was, of course, memorably sent off in the World Cup final for a mindless second yellow in the 93rd minute.
The 11/1 FERNANDEZ-MAC ALLISTER CARD DOUBLE is backed for good measure too.
Score prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Manchester City (Sky Bet odds: 5/1)
Odds correct at 15:00 BST (9/10/26)
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