English FA CUP

2026-04-04 - Manchester City vs Liverpool

A Sports Betting Pick by Auls

Manchester City v Liverpool
Football: English FA Cup Quarter Final
Saturday 4th April 2026 - Kick Off 12:45pm
This game is live on TV

Manchester City

After missing out on all silverware in 2025, Manchester City were back in the Winner's Enclosure just before the March international break when beating Arsenal in the League Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. The Champions League dream is over and Manchester City have a big gap to close in the Premier League, but they can earn another trip to the national Stadium by beating Liverpool in the FA Cup Quarter Final.

Most players will have returned from international duty by Wednesday afternoon, but Pep Guardiola cannot have been that pleased with the early Saturday afternoon slot for this Quarter Final tie. Wins over Exeter City, Salford City and Newcastle United have taken Manchester City through to the FA Cup Quarter Final and they will be looking to earn a spot in the Semi Final for the eighth year in a row.

Manchester City had only won 1 of the previous 5 games in all competitions and that had seen them dumped out of the Champions League and lose ground domestically, but everyone will have headed off to international duty in confident mood following the win over Arsenal. The side had won 7 in a row at home in all competitions, but Manchester City have been held to a 2-2 draw by Nottingham Forest and beaten by Real Madrid most recently here.

John Stones and Ruben Dias are doubts, while Josko Gvardiol is hoping to return later this month.

Liverpool

The pressure has never really eased off on Arne Slot as manager of Liverpool and the latest Premier League defeat has given him more questions to answer. As long as they are still in the Champions League the board may feel they can kick any decision down the road, but Slot will know he needs to get Liverpool back into that competition and hopefully add silverware if he is going to be retained beyond the season.

Winning the Premier League and then having a big spend in the summer raised expectations, but Liverpool have fallen well short of those domestically. They have beaten Barnsley, Brighton and Wolves in the FA Cup run into the Quarter Final, while Liverpool will be looking for the best run in the competition since winning it in 2022.

Liverpool crushed Galatasaray 5-0 at home to earn a spot in the Champions League Quarter Final, but that is the sole win in the last 4 games in all competitions. The Reds have lost 3 of the last 4 away games in all competitions with the exception being the 1-3 win at Wolves in the FA Cup Fifth Round.

Alexander Isak is closing on a return, but this fixture may be too soon for the striker. Hugo Ekitike picked up a knock against Brighton, but has played for France since then, while the likes of Alisson, Federico Chiesa and Mo Salah missed international duty and have to be considered doubts.

Head to Head

Manchester City have already beaten Liverpool twice in the Premier League this season.

They had drawn one and lost one of the previous 2 home games against Liverpool, but Manchester City beat this opponent 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium back in November.

Prediction

The opening FA Cup Quarter Final of the weekend looks to be the standout tie when the draw was made, although Manchester City are rightly favoured to win this one inside ninety minutes.

Two weeks ago they beat Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in the League Cup Final and you could see the delight on the pitch and in the dugout.

Pep Guardiola will know that expectations around Manchester City is to win the Champions League and/or Premier League, but all silverware has been given plenty of respect. Last year Manchester City ended without any trophies to add to the cabinet and so the League Cup win is important for all involved and the hope for the manager is that it can propel Manchester City into a strong end of the campaign.

They have failed to win the last couple of home games, but Manchester City have not had much of the rub of the green in those.

The performances have remained pretty good and Manchester City are certainly going to feel that this Liverpool team are quite vulnerable.

Unlike the hosts, Liverpool do have to think about a Champions League Quarter Final tie to be played during the week and Arne Slot's men have continued to struggle for any consistency. The thumping win over Galatasaray in the Champions League Last 16 might have been a confidence booster, but Liverpool lost Mo Salah to injury and days later were second best in a 2-1 defeat at Brighton.

It is a defeat that makes it 3 in the last 4 away games played in all competitions and Liverpool have already lost twice when facing Manchester City this season.

Both fixtures saw Manchester City create the stronger openings and the squad looks like it will be a little healthier than Liverpool's out of the March international break.

With the extra attacking options coming off the bench, Manchester City should have enough at both ends of the pitch to secure passage into the Semi Final for the eighth year in a row. If Liverpool have to take risks, it should play into the Manchester City hands and the likelihood is that at least two goals will be scored in any winning effort produced by the hosts.