Match Preview - Man City vs Liverpool - Key Battle, Team News, Prediction

Manchester City and Liverpool will lock horns at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The Premier League fixture has the potential to be the title decider. With eight games to go, the Citizens possess a one-point lead over the Reds on the table.

Liverpool are coming off a decent performance against Benfica in the Champions League (quarter-final, first leg) midweek. Jurgen Klopp's side recorded a 3-1 win over the Portuguese team at the Estadio da Luz.

Manchester City on the other hand are also coming off a solid result in the quarter-final stages of the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola's side secured a 1-0 first leg victory over Atletico Madrid at the Etihad Stadium earlier this week.

Below is a preview of this weekend's clash between Manchester City and Liverpool.

Key Battle:

The side that handles the build-up to the clash better might just win. The reality is, the winner of this match will become the favourite to claim the Premier League title.

Both teams are mentally strong and full of quality, which is why they have won major honours in recent years. But, that doesn't mean there won't be a few nerves from both sets of players on Sunday.

Therefore, we strongly believe that the side that handles the day better will go on to claim the victory.

However, because Liverpool are one-point behind Manchester City, a draw would be a good result for the Citizens. So, the Reds will have to play close to the perfect game to gain the three points at the Etihad Stadium.

Team News:

Yesterday, journalist David Lynch confirmed exclusively to Anfield Watch that Liverpool midfielder Fabinho will be fit to play against Manchester City.

The Brazil international was involved in a clash of heads during the second-half of the club's midweek Champions League fixture against Benfica. However, Fabinho has made a full recovery.

In team news for Manchester City, the MEN News has confirmed that centre-back Ruben Dias will miss the match against Liverpool through injury.

Full-back Kyle Walker did not feature against Atletico Madrid midweek due to suspension. But, he will be available for the game against the Reds.

Previous Premier League Meeting:

Liverpool ended up drawing 2-2 against Manchester City at Anfield earlier this season.

Sadio Mane gave the Reds the lead after 59 minutes of action. However, Phil Foden equalised 10 minutes later.

Shortly after, Mohamed Salah scored a world-class goal to restore Liverpool's lead. But, Kevin De Bruyne scored in the last 10 minutes of the match to ensure that his side left Anfield with a point.

Klopp's View:

Klopp has recently praised Manchester City's quality. However, the German also made it clear that Liverpool do have what it takes to win on Sunday.

"I couldn't respect it more what they (Manchester City) are doing," Klopp told the club's official website.

"I like watching them. I cannot say I love a lot of opponents, or competitors, but I really like watching City.

"So, always when we play them, the analysis is a mix of serious work and real joy… it’s fantastic football. It's, like, the next level: where can you go with the football team?

"They set it up in a special way. They make it really difficult. They make the pitch big in moments. They make the pitch small in the right moments. They have sensational individuals and all these kinds of things.

"That's the truth. I cannot hide that. But the good thing is we are not too bad as well. So that helps, obviously, to keep us in a good distance at least."

Prediction:

This game is very difficult to predict. Both sides have been playing at a world-class level for a number of years.

However, we are predicting Liverpool to continue their superb form. The Reds have not dropped points in the Premier League since the beginning of January (Chelsea 2-2, Stamford Bridge).

Manchester City on the other hand did drop points against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park last month. The Reds are in better form heading into Sunday.

Manchester City 1 Liverpool 2