It’s Manchester City vs Liverpool in the EPL Cup on Thursday, December 22
The EPL’s Big Two meet in the Round of 16 of one of England’s big cup competitions
We preview Manchester City vs Liverpool, look at the odds, and offer some picks
It’s Manchester City vs Liverpool in the Etihad on Thursday, December 22 in the EFL League Cup Round of 16, with kick-off scheduled for 3:00pm ET.
City beat Chelsea in the third round of the EFL Cup to qualify for this round-of-16 tie, while the Reds managed to edge past Derby County but only after a penalty shoot-out.
We preview Manchester City vs Liverpool, look at the EFL Cup odds, and offer some analysis, team news, and picks below.
Manchester City vs Liverpool Odds
| Matchup | Moneyline |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | -104 |
| Liverpool | +280 |
| Draw | +270 |
Odds as of Dec 21 at BarstoolSportsbook. Use this BarstoolSportsbook promo code to bet on this or other games.
Man City are listed as odds-on favorites at -104 with an implied win probability of 51%. At +280 and with an implied probability of 26%, Liverpool are, for once considered outsiders. The draw after 90 minutes is listed at +270 – an implied probability of 27%.
Over/Under and Spread
Barstool are anticipating goals here with under 2.5 pitched in plus money at +140, while over is listed at -177.
Manchester City vs Liverpool Preview
The EFL Cup has recently been a go-to for City who have won it in five of the last nine seasons, including for four consecutively between 2018 and 2021. Pep Guardiola has used it as an opportunity to put trophies in the cabinet but this season may be a bit different.
With the World Cup break acting as additional pressure, and with City currently sitting in second place in the EPL- five points behind Arsenal – it looks likely to be a mixed team that will take the field against Liverpool, with some players yet to re-emerge after being on international duty in Qatar.
Haaland and De Bruyne Leading the Charge
With the majority of his squad having been away on international duty, Guardiola chose to play just one friendly during the break – a 2-0 win over Girona, with the goals coming from Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne.
And it’s those two big names who will lead the charge against Liverpool, with the rest of the squad being made up of fringe and younger players from City’s esteemed academy.
In the EFL Cup last season, City were knocked out on penalties by West Ham in the fourth round.
Manchester City vs Liverpool Head-to-Head Stats
Manchester City
VS
Liverpool
| 9 | No of League Cup Finals | 13 |
| 8 | No of Trophy Wins | 9 |
| 10-2-2 | EPL Record 202-23 | 6-4-4 |
| 2nd | Current EPL position | 6th |
| WWWWLW | Form guide (all comps.) | WWDWLW |
Penalty Success for Reds
Liverpool made the most of Man City exiting this competition early last season and went all the way to the final. In the tightest of finales, it went the distance against Chelsea, eventually winning 11-10 on penalties.
In order to qualify for this tie, the Reds had to negotiate another penalty shootout, against Derby County, which made it three wins out of four heading into the World Cup break. During the break, those Liverpool players who didn’t head to Qatar competed in the Dubai Super Cup, where they lost 3-1 to Lyon before beating AC Milan 4-1.
Salah the Hero Back in October
This will be the second City/Liverpool game of the season, with the pair meeting in mid-October – a game settled by a single second-half goal from Mo Salah. With both teams still not back at full strength, it will be two very different line-ups that clash tomorrow night, but the stakes remain high.
Jurgen Klopp will demand a good performance from his men and will see this as another chance to dent the trophy hopes of Guardiola in what is, in itself, a huge rivalry.
Manchester City vs Liverpool Team Lineups and Injuries
Man City Projected Lineup: Ortega, Lewis, Katongo, Charles, Gomez, Palmer, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Haaland, Borges.
Injuries & absences: Rodri, Laporte, Akanji, Ake.
Liverpool Projected Lineup: Kelleher, Ramsay, Gomez, Phillips, Tsimikas, Elliott, Bajcetic, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah, Firmino, Carvalho.
Injuries & absences: Konate, van Dijk, Jota, Diaz.
2026 English Premier League Odds Tracker
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Manchester City vs Liverpool Prediction
While City start this as odds-on favorites, it looks likely that Liverpool will be able to field more of their big names. Therefore, for me, with experience counting for a lot in cup ties, the value here is with the City win inside the 90 minutes.
Picks: Liverpool to win (+280)
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