Man City vs Liverpool Betting – Mancini and Benitez battle for fourth spot

Sunday’s big Premier League game is between the two main forces in the race for fourth spot in the league, which equates to that all important Champions League spot next season. Usually this spot would be reserved for Liverpool, but this season they are having to work extremely hard to get it. After crashing out of the Champions League this season, having to make inroads in Europe in the Europa League, Liverpool’s Champions League participation for next season is in serious jeopardy. They are coming under fire from not only Sunday’s opponents, but from Tottenham and Aston Villa as well, who are all in the hunt. Sunday’s game against Manchester City throws up the prospect of them falling four points behind fourth placed City in the race for the Champions League.

Add to that equation the fact that Manchester City will still have a game in hand over Liverpool, and the task will start looking monumental. Reds boss Rafa Benitez has made a promise to the Anfield faithful, that he will get Liverpool into fourth place, after enduring a season which has been full of disappointments. The Europa league is all that the Reds have to play for this season in terms of silverware, and it has been quite a fall from grace for them, with Benitez having to shoulder most, if not all of the blame. Liverpool have lacked a cutting edge going forward, even when Fernando Torres has been fit, for the level of support around him and Steven Gerrard, just has not been up to par. Still, they are battling on and trying to get something out of what is left in the season.

Liverpool beat Europa League opposition Unirea Urziceni in midweek, by a 1-0 scoreline. The match was uneventful and dour, largely thanks to the visitors playing ten men behind the ball, and Liverpool lacking the creativity to do much about it. They lost their last league outing, which was a trip to the Emirates against Arsenal, and that allowed Manchester City to sneak ahead of them in midweek. This is an extremely crucial match in the scheme of things, as with Aston Villa and Tottenham both in action on Sunday as well, the standing could take on a major shift, with Liverpool finding themselves down in seventh place if things don’t go their way. But they can take heart, that it is a rare occasion when Manchester City pop up with a win over the Reds.

Manchester City have had their problems this season, after spending big in the summer. They have seen the departure of manager Mark Hughes, with replacement Roberto Mancini looking to really shake things up at the club with a strong start. They have fallen back into less than impressive ways again though, looking unconvincing in their abilities to win matches. They drew with Stoke in the FA Cup, and then tied with them again a few days later in the league, and that is exactly the type of opposition which they need to be ruthless against. Now, with suspensions, injuries and personal lives stacking up against them, they need to dig deep to get back to fluent, convincing, winning ways. A win for City on Sunday, could be a huge turning point in the season.

There have been rumours of a bust up between boss Mancini and striker Craig Bellamy, but Mancini may need him for Sunday’s game, as star player Carlos Tevez is back home in Argentina looking after family affairs with the birth of his daughter. With the fuss surrounding full back Wayne Bridge in the John Terry scandal, recent signing Patrick Vieira’s charge of violent misconduct, and the inability to get Robinho up to scratch, it appears that Mancini really needs to tighten the ship and get some team spirit and belief going. They do have one good thing in their favour, and that is their great home form this season. Like league leaders Chelsea, they have yet to lose a home game at Eastlands this season, and have lost fewer than Arsenal and Manchester United, who are above them in the league. In contrast to Sunday’s opponents Liverpool, who have lost 8 times in the league this season, City have only lost four times, all on the road. But they have let far too many chances slip though, and have piled up the drawn matches under Mark Hughes, which could cost them dearly in the end.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
Liverpool 2, Man City 2
Liverpool 1, Man City 1
Man City 2, Liverpool 3
Liverpool 1, Man City 0
Man City 0, Liverpool 0

Last 5 Match Goals
Man City: 6 For, 5 Against
Liverpool: 5 For, 1 Against

Last 10 Form
Man City: W6, D1, L3
Liverpool: W6, D2, L2

Win Percentage
Man City have a 75.0 win percentage at home
Liverpool have a 30.8 win percentage away from home

Match Prices:
Man City to win: 13/8 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 23/10 at Totesport
Liverpool to win: 2/1 at SkyBet

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: This looks to have draw written all over it. Liverpool have developed of knack of picking up vital wins against the teams immediately around them, and their defence will keep them in with a good chance. With no Tevez to inspire them, City may struggle again for fluency, and it could all peter out into a non-event. A draw wouldn’t be a disaster for either side, neither would it be satisfactory. If anything, backing City, simply because of their great home form, would be the way to lean in betting.
Manchester City -0.5 Asian Handicap: 6/4 at Paddy Power