Manchester City face a blockbuster test against Liverpool as the 2025-26 FA Cup Quarter-Finals stage get underway.
Victory would see Man City reach the semi-finals of this competition for an eighth consecutive season, whilst Liverpool chase a first semi-final appearance under Arne Slot after he took charge last season.
Teams
John Stones isn’t expected to be available for Man City after he suffered a calf injury whilst on international duty for England.
Ruben Dias could be available after he missed City’s Carabao Cup Final win over Arsenal due to a hamstring injury, which also kept him out of Portugal’s friendlies in the international break.
Josko Gvardiol (leg) remains sidelined.
Liverpool could welcome Mohamed Salah back from a muscle injury, which saw him miss their 2-1 loss at Brighton in the Premier League, plus Egypt’s international friendlies.
Alisson is ruled out with a muscle injury, but Federico Chiesa and Jeremie Frimpong are available following knocks in the international break.
Wataru Endo (ankle), Alex Isak (leg), Conor Bradley (knee) and Giovanni Leoni (ACL) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Man City host Liverpool at Etihad Stadium on Saturday 4 April at 12:45pm BST, live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Man City have won two of their six previous FA Cup ties against Liverpool (W2, L4), although both wins came in replays after goalless draws in fifth round of 1955-56 and fourth round of 1972-73 editions respectively.
- Liverpool are making their first FA Cup trip to City’s Etihad Stadium, but are unbeaten in three of their four previous FA Cup visits to City albeit at their former home – Maine Road (W2, D1, L1).
- Rico Lewis is the only City player to score more than once in this season’s FA Cup, having scored twice in a 10-1 third-round victory at home to Exeter City.
- Six of Liverpool’s 10 FA Cup goals this season were scored by Dominik Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones; who have each scored two goals apiece.
Prediction
With a strong pedigree in the business end of the FA Cup under Pep Guardiola and having won the Carabao Cup before the break, Man City are riding a wave of renewed confidence coming into this fixture but they will need everyone focused because this a tough return after two weeks off.
Liverpool though will need to be more clinical than they were at Brighton but will have the motivation of wanting to lift the cup in Salah’s final season at the club now, which will fire them up even more on top of the Brighton result and the fact that City beat them twice already this season.
Both teams though will of had players arriving back from all the globe in the last 48 hours so fatigue could play a slight part, which makes me think that this could go to extra time but City should have the edge at home.
Prediction: Man City 2-1 (AET) Liverpool
Result: Man City 4-0 Liverpool