Manchester City vs Liverpool
Manchester City host Liverpool on Saturday in the FA Cup clash of the weekend, as the oldest club competition in the world reaches the quarter-final stage.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have already won the Carabao Cup, beating Arsenal in some comfort, and they are chasing the Gunners, who lead the Premier League by nine points with seven games to play, though the Sky Blues have a game in hand and are yet to host Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.
Meanwhile, Arne Slot’s Liverpool have been struggling to keep their top four hopes alive, currently in fifth place and five points behind Aston Villa. But the Reds are still in the Champions League with a quarter-final against PSG to look forward to, while City crashed out to Real Madrid at the Round of 16 stage.
So this is a huge competition for these titans of the English game. They each made it through to the last eight with confident away wins, both 1-3 as Liverpool beat Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, while Manchester City saw off Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.
The latest FA Cup 2026 betting odds make Guardiola’s men the second favourites, marginally behind Arsena. But win this clash, and the Sky Blues will be on target to collect their second piece of silverware this season.
Talking Points
Is this Silva’s last City stand?
As the evolution of Manchester City continues, news from the European football press suggested today that Sky Blues skipper Bernardo Silva will be on his way when his contract expires this summer. The Portugal star has enjoyed stellar success in Manchester since he arrived from AS Monaco in 2017, winning six Premier League titles and a Champions League medal. But he has been keen to return to his homeland for some time and has hinted at times that this season will be his last in the English top-flight.
At 31 years of age, he still has a lot to offer and will hope to finish on a high with Manchester City, with the league and FA Cup still very real possibilities to add to his Carabao Cup winners medal. There will be no shortage of suitors for Silva’s services, but a move to Spain, possibly with Barcelona, or a stint back in his home country, seem the most likely outcomes.
If, as expected, Silva follows Kevin De Bruyne out of the door, the next generation of the Sky Blues’ creative talents have given City fans cause for optimism. Nico O’Reilly scored twice in the Carabao Cup final and has forced his way in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup plans. Omar Marmoush made his mark in the FA Cup 2026 highlights, scoring a second-half double, as the Sky Blues beat Newcastle to reach the last eight.
Slot remains under pressure
10 months is a long time in football, and Arne Slot knows that more than anyone at the moment. Last May, he led Liverpool to the title in supreme style, but with 10 league losses to explain this season, the Dutch coach is not safe in his job. The 47-year-old still has a chance in the Champions League and the FA Cup, though a defeat to Manchester City on Saturday would certainly ramp up the pressure.
A 2-1 loss to Brighton last time out started the rumour mill churning, and Slot has come under criticism for failing to galvanise £450 million worth of recruits who arrived last summer.
One or two of them have started to show signs that they will eventually deliver. Hugo Ekitike was on target for France against Brazil during last week, and Florian Wirtz impressed for Germany. But they will have to start doing it for Liverpool to save their manager’s job.
History
Both Liverpool and Manchester City have had enormous success in the FA Cup, with eight and seven titles, respectively. The Reds last eon it in 2022, and the Sky Blues became champions a year later. And City were stunned in the final last year, losing to Crystal Palace, as the Eagles won their first-ever major trophy.
Liverpool have had the better of the head-to-heads, with 27 wins to Manchester City’s 14 over the past 63 games. At the Etihad Stadium, the tally stands at 11 to nine in the Sky Blues’ favour. And Guardiola’s team has won the last two – a 3-0 victory at home last season.
And when the two teams met in February at Anfield, City won a dramatic battle with two late goals after Dominik Szoboszlai had given Liverpool a lead deep into the second half. A Silva leveller and an Erling Haaland penalty, his first Premier League goal at the home of Liverpool, handed the visitors all three points.
Neither club went into the international break in strong form. Manchester City had two wins, two draws. and two defeats from their last six, while Liverpool had won two, drawn one. and lost three.
Betting Tip
The Sky Blues are hot SBOTOP favourites to win this game at 1.75, with the Reds at 3.85 and the Draw at 4.00. I think the hosts will come through, as Guardiola’s teams are renowned for a fast finish to their campaigns. And for a Correct Score, a 2-0 home win is at a price of 9.75.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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