This is one you won’t want to miss! Man City take on Liverpool live on Sky Sports at 12.30pm on Saturday as the Premier League returns.
This fixture has delivered on average three goals per game and some classic meetings over the years.
Just a point separates the two sides – something has got to give!
Liverpool and the 12.30pm kick-off is an angle punters can exploit. There is substance there.
Many readers of Liverpool persuasion will shoot this down based on back-to-back victories over Wolves and Everton this season in that particular timeslot but I’m yet to be convinced. Jurgen Klopp’s side broke a six-game winless run in 12.30pm starts when beating Wolves 3-1 but it was an alarming first-half showing that continued a worrying trend for Klopp’s men. A failure to score in that first half, or in the eventual 2-0 win over Everton, means Liverpool have failed to score in seven of their last eight first halves in the 12.30pm timeslot.
That’s more than enough evidence to declare them as slow starters in this type of environment and the last place you want to go if sleepy football is in your blood is away to Manchester City. I like the 6/4 with Sky Bet for them to be winning and half-time and full-time. Equally, I’m also drawn to Bernardo Silva in the prop markets.
In a game where Man City are expecting to find fertile ground in behind the Liverpool full-backs, his 9/2 anytime scorer price does stand out if, as expected, Guardiola does select him in that right-side forward role. His two goals against Bournemouth earlier this month when playing that wide right role took him to five goals scored in his last three matches at the Etihad Stadium when playing in that front three, following up a double in the 4-0 win over Madrid and another effort in the 3-0 dismantling of Bayern last season.
Adding Silva’s fouls conceded numbers to the Bet Builder makes sense too in order to boost the price. His fouls conceded data rockets when playing as a right-sided forward against elite opposition as he is likely to find himself in more one-on-one duels down that flank rather than in the hustle and bustle in central field.
In his last seven appearances playing that position against an elite opponent (Arsenal, Real, Bayern, Inter Milan and Manchester United) he has made 19 fouls, meaning he’s working at an average of 2.7 fouls per 90 minutes. When you consider the likely attack-minded approach of Klopp’s Liverpool, Silva will be kept busy out of possession and is expected to hit around that average in terms of fouls made.
Jones Knows is back with his Premier League best bets column with a particular focus on Man City vs Liverpool, live on Sky Sports, where he’s making a case for a 14/1 shot.
