City Chase Cup Glory as Liverpool Battle to Keep Season Alive

Manchester City's domestic treble dream remains very much alive following their Carabao Cup final triumph over Arsenal, and they'll fancy their chances of progressing further when Liverpool arrive at the Etihad for Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final showdown.

The Premier League title race looks tight with City nine points adrift of the leaders, though Guardiola's side boast a game in hand and a home clash against Arsenal still to come this month. Liverpool, by contrast, find themselves walking a tightrope this season. They're still competing in the cup competitions, including a last-eight Champions League tie against PSG, but must secure a strong league finish to guarantee European football next term.

Kick-off and Coverage

Saturday's encounter gets underway at 12:45 BST on April 4 at the Etihad. TNT Sports 1, HBO Max and Prime Video will broadcast live coverage from noon, with TalkSPORT providing full commentary.

City's Injury Worries

Josko Gvardiol remains sidelined for City, having been absent since January. Manager Guardiola faces uncertainty over his centre-back pairing, with both John Stones and Ruben Dias carrying knocks and rated as doubtful.

Liverpool's Fitness Concerns

The Reds have injury headaches of their own. Mo Salah is poised to return after a muscle complaint suffered against Galatasaray forced him to miss the Brighton defeat and Egypt's international fixtures. However, Alisson's hamstring problems have left the goalkeeper in serious doubt once more.

Jeremie Frimpong's involvement is also uncertain following the knock that saw him withdrawn during the Netherlands' draw with Ecuador. Alexander Isak, sidelined since December with a broken leg, has stepped up his training but appears more likely to feature in the midweek Champions League trip to PSG rather than this fixture.

The Odds

City are favoured at 4/5 to win the match, whilst they sit second in the FA Cup betting at 3/1, behind Arsenal at 2/1. Liverpool and a draw both stand at 16/5, with the Reds priced at 13/2 to claim the trophy.

What to Expect

City have already shown their superiority over Liverpool this season in the Premier League, winning both encounters. The Anfield victory required late heroics, with City netting twice in the final six minutes after Dominik Szoboszlai's stunning free-kick had put Liverpool ahead. At the Etihad, though, City were utterly commanding, securing a 3-0 triumph despite Virgil van Dijk having a goal ruled out controversially around the interval.

That defeat could have been even heavier—Erling Haaland saw a penalty saved when the score was level—which underlines City's dominance. Liverpool's wretched away record in the league, with seven defeats on the road, suggests they'll struggle here. Expect City to book their semi-final spot with a 3-1 victory.