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Manchester City know they cannot afford any more slip-ups as they head into Sunday’s game at Liverpool sitting nine points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.

City threw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at Tottenham last weekend and Arsenal’s routine 3-0 victory over Sunderland on Saturday moved Mikel Arteta’s men further ahead.

Defeat at a ground where City have not won in front of a crowd since 2003 would likely drag Pep Guardiola’s side back into the battle for spots in the top four and end their title hopes.

Liverpool have put their own Anfield struggles behind them by racking up 10 goals over the course of back-to-back wins against Qarabag and Newcastle United.

The Sporting News is following the Liverpool vs. Man City match live, providing score updates and commentary

Liverpool vs. Man City live score

Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
Referee: Craig Pawson

Keep track of every game and every goal via SN’s live Premier League scoreboard

Lineups:

Liverpool (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Alisson (GK) — 8. Dominik Szoboszlai, 5. Ibrahima Konate, 4. Virgil van Dijk, 6. Milos Kerkez — 38. Ryan Gravenberch, 10. Alexis Mac Allister — 11. Mohamed Salah, 7. Florian Wirtz, 18. Cody Gakpo — 22. Hugo Ekitike

Man City (4-3-3, right to left): 25. Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK) — 27. Matheus Nunes, 45. Abdukodir Khusanov, 15. Marc Guehi, 21. Rayan Ait-Nouri — 20. Bernardo Silva, 16. Rodri, 33. Nico O’Reilly — 42. Antoine Semenyo, 9. Erling Haaland, 7. Omar Marmoush 

MORE: Tijjani Reijnders gives Man City huge warning over Anfield hoodoo ahead of Liverpool trip

Liverpool vs. Man City live updates, highlights, and commentary

15 mins before kickoff: So here’s the state of play at the top of the Premier League. City are nine points behind Arsenal at the top. After today, both teams will have 13 more games to play. Liverpool lie sixth. The top five will probably secure Champions League places this season and a win here would move the Reds to within four points of Chelsea in fifth. Lose and a nasty little gap will have opened up.

40 mins before kickoff: These look like two fairly evenly matched, hard-running teams. There certainly seems to be miore craft in the Liverpool XI, with Florian Wirtz having the opportunity to roam as a No 10 off the hugely gifted Hugo Ekitike. Mohamed Salah has not been great at all since the African Cup of Nations. The ‘Egyptian King’ as 13 career goals against City and has only managed more versus Tottenham and Manchester United (both 16). His compatriot and arguably pretender to his throne, Omar Marmoush, has netted three times in as many starts post AFCON.

1 hr 5 mins before kickoff: Liverpool have also packed their starting XI with attacking talent. It’s the same XI that beat Newcastle 4-1. Dominik Szoboszlai continues to fill in at right-back, leaving Ryan Granvenberch and Alexis Mac Allister as a midfield two. Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo all start in support of centre-forward Hugo Ekitike.

Team news is IN! ✊🔴 #LIVMCI

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 8, 2026

1 hr 15 mins before kickoff: The teams are in. Let’s start with the visitors, who do indeed have Guehi in defence but he’s partnered once more by Abdukodir Khusanov, with Ruben Dias still only fit enough for a place on a strong bench that features Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden. Captain Bernardo Silva has recovered from a hamstring complaint to start in midfield, while Erling Haaland joins Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo in a three-pronged attack that certainly has plenty of goals in it. Does that trio and the midfield three of Silva, Rodri and Nico O’Reilly have enough creativity, though?

Your line-up to take on Liverpool! 😤🩵

XI | Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Guéhi, Ait-Nouri, Rodri, Bernardo (C), O’Reilly, Semenyo, Marmoush, Haaland

SUBS | Trafford, Dias, Reijnders, Ake, Cherki, Nico, Foden, Alleyne, Lewis

🤝 @etihad pic.twitter.com/0Z8zMFri9c

— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 8, 2026

1 hr 20 mins before kickoff: Confirmed team news will be with us shortly. Marc Guehi is expected to start just his third match for City after making his move from Crystal Palace last month. Back in August, he looked certain to be lining up in the other XI for this fixture, only for a deadline day switch from south London to Liverpool to collapse at the 11th hour. Anfield is typically fired up for this game and it will be interesting to see what sort of a reception Guehi gets.

Man City

1 hr 40 mins before kickoff: To drill into City’s Anfield record a little more, they have won once away from home against Liverpool since 2003. That was a 4-1 triumph during the behind-closed-doors season of 2020/21. The victory when Kevin Keegan was in charge almost 23 years ago, when former Liverpool forward Nicolas Anelka bagged a brace in a 2-1 victory, is the last time City left a crowd at Anfield tasting defeat. Before that, there was a 3-1 victory on Merseyside on Boxing Day 1981, which in itself was the Blues’ first away win over Liverpool in the league since 1953. Yikes.

2 hours before kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of Liverpool vs. Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side have taken one point from their past two away games at Manchester United and Tottenham. Anything less than three at a ground where they seldom win will hand Arsenal another huge boost in the Premier League title race.

Liverpool vs. Man City kick off time

The match kicks off in Liverpool, UK at 4:30 p.m. local time.

Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:

Liverpool vs. Man City lineups, team news

With Jeremie Frimpong back on the shelf due to another hamstring injury, while Joe Gomez is also absent, Dominik Szoboszlai will need to deputise at right-back yet again.

Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are long-term absentees and will not take part in this season’s proceedings, while Alexander Isak needs another two months to recover from his broken leg.

Liverpool starting XI (4-3-3, right to left): Alisson (GK) — Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez — Gravenberch, Mac Allister — Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo — Ekitike

Liverpool subs: Mamardashvili (GK), Woodman (GK), Endo, Chiesa, Jones, Robertson, Nyoni, Ramsay, Ngumoha.

City captain Bernardo Silva has recovered from a hamstring complaint to start in midfield with Rodri and Nico O’Reilly.

Marc Guehi, who was on the verge of joining Liverpool at the start of this season before his deadline day move from Crystal Palace collapsed, partners Abdukodir Khusanov at centre-back. Ruben Dias is on the bench once more as he builds back to fitness from a hamstring injury.

Erling Haaland returns to the first XI after starting on the bench for the Carabao Cup semifinal meeting against Newcastle, where Omar Marmoush‘s brace ensured he remains in the team with Antoine Semenyo on the other flank.

Man City starting XI (4-3-3, right to left): Donnarumma (GK) — Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, Ait-Nouri — Silva, Rodri, O’Reilly — Semenyo, Haaland, Marmoush 

Man City subs: Trafford (GK), Dias, Reijnders, Ake, Cherki, Nico, Foden, Alleyne, Lewis

Liverpool vs. Man City live stream, TV channel

Here is how to watch the match in some of the world’s major regions: