Who would have guessed that this is where we would be in the Premier League in November? Certainly not the fans of the defending champions, that is for sure. When it started, the 2024/25 season of the best domestic league in all of football did not look all that strange. Fast forward to the end of the year and there are many peculiar stories regarding teams, players, form, and transfers. More importantly, the title race is already the main topic of conversation because yet again, it is between Man City and their biggest rivals in recent memory, Liverpool. However, despite certain people expecting that these would indeed be the teams to battle for the prestigious trophy throughout the season, recent events proved everyone wrong.
The Manchester team is struggling. Actually, that is an understatement as they have been on the worst stretch since the start of their dominance some ten years ago. On the other hand, Liverpool is dominating across the board and nothing seems to impact their form, not the coaching change, not the roster change. These polar opposites are still the two best teams, and on Sunday, December 1, they are going head to head in what could be the title-deciding game. Rarely does it happen so early in the season, but considering the point difference as well as the fact that one is playing so well and the other the worst in years, it is easy to see why.
In this article, we focus on the upcoming derby that will have huge implications for the teams, their respective managers, and of course the players. Legacies are on the line as well as the Premiership. Additionally, we take a look at Stake’s exclusive interview with Sergio Aguero, his predictions for the game, and therefore the odds for the sports betting fans among you. Read on to find out why this game is so important and how it can change the course of European football for years to come.
Current Premier League Standings
The reason why this season is so interesting is simple. Liverpool is leading the standings and decisively so. After 12 matches played, they have 10 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. They have scored 24 goals so far and have only allowed 8 for a league-best goal difference of 16. At the moment, they have 31 points, which is 8 better than Man City in the second spot. The blue team from Manchester has 7 wins, 2 draws, and 3 defeats. They have scored 22 goals but allowed 17, which is an incredible amount for their standards. This is only a difference of 5 goals, tied for 4th best in the league. The alarming part about this, apart from the 8-point difference which in England is worth more than in other leagues due to the level of competition, is that City lost three straight league games.
After a promising start to the season, they strung together this infamous streak of losses. To make matters worse, they have also failed to win in the 2 Champions League Matches in this period. It all started with a disappointing loss to Tottenham in the EFL Cup, 2-1. Then came a shocker at Bournemouth, another 2-1 defeat, their first in the Premiership. Three days later, they were humbled at Sporting 4-1. Their second loss in the league was another 2-1 road loss, this time at Brighton. After the international break, things looked promising but a cold shower and a new low came with a devastating home loss to Tottenham, 0-4, their third straight in the league. Things culminated in the UCL at home when City let a 3-0 lead slip and eventually drew the game 3-3 against the underdog Feyenoord.
On the other hand, Liverpool is firing on all fronts. Not only are they first in England, but also remain the only unbeaten team in the UCL after 5 games. Leading the English and European league tables entering December is an astonishing feat, especially for a club that lost their best manager in history and a few key players over the last two years. Arne Slot is doing incredible work as the team looks very promising. The 2-0 win against the defending UCL champions Real Madrid confirms it. They are scoring a lot and defending their own goal, getting plenty of clean sheets and resounding victories. Playing at home on Sunday against City, they will look to take the point difference to double digits and practically secure the title. Mo Salah has been incredible, scoring 10 goals in the first 12 games and trailing only Erling Haaland who has 12.
Stake’s Exclusive Interview with Aguero
Online sports betting giant Stake has interviewed Sergio Aguero recently. The Manchester City legend is a long-time Global Football Ambassador of Stake and had plenty to say about the upcoming game, the title race, and the season as a whole. He also gave his predictions about this Sunday’s derby which is always a good thing for the fans and bettors to evaluate. Views and insights from legends who once took part in games like this are considered first-hand experience at its finest. Therefore, every City and Liverpool fan needs to know what was said.
A simple question was asked to start things regarding Premier League predictions and would the title race be over if Liverpool wins on Sunday. Aguero said that people are often quick to call the race and he answered like a true athlete: “It ain’t over until it’s over.” Continuing, he added, “The current point advantage may be insignificant by the end of the season.” He reflected on the 2011/12 season and said, “We’ve seen that happen frequently. The 2011/12 season had us eight points below United and we took that trophy.” He did agree that beating Liverpool would help but that it was not wise to make such statements this early.
Ha also mentioned Chelsea and Arsenal’s success, saying for the Blues that “if they keep it up, we should see them as trophy contenders.” For the Gunnars, he said they are “another great example of a rival that shouldn’t be discredited for their weaker results” and that they “will be vying for the title just like they’ve done for the past few years.”
Aguero was then asked about Pep Guardiola and what he would be like in the dressing room right now because of the bad stretch. Aguero revealed, “I’m sure he emphasized the importance of [the team’s] signature style.” He then added that the key would be “motivating the team to follow the principles that allowed City to be the team that it’s become.”
Current Odds and Forecasts
Considering the current form of both teams, the injury situation in Manchester, as well as the general atmosphere and team spirit on both sides, not a lot of people give City a lot of chance to take the upcoming game. The sportsbooks of course agree with this, they are the experts at predicting the scores after all. So what do the odds for the game say and what would be the smartest moves for the pundits to go within two days? Let us check out the most recent odds so that you can win some money while watching the upcoming English football derby.
Right from the start, it can be concluded that this is a great game to bet on. The odds are great on both teams and even betting on the favorite gives you a nice chance at a win. Liverpool FC is of course the favorite and the odds they have right now at Stake are 2.13. Manchester City’s odds are 3.35, so they are not without their chance but it will be difficult. The draw is the least likely scenario considering how many goals both sides are capable of scoring, so the odds are 3.70.
Liverpool is favored to score first with 1.77 over City’s 2.24. Also, the odds for both teams to score are quite 1.50 and this is a safe bet as the is 2.55. In terms of goal range, the 0-1 is 5.00, and the 2-3, which is the most likely, is 2.11. The 4-5 range is 3.05 and the always-intriguing 6+ bet is 8.20. Wouldn’t that be amazing, a high-scoring game in a derby with this much at stake?
If you like placing bets on goalscorers, here are some odds for the 1st goalscorer in the game. Naturally, it is the battle of Haaland and Salah that leads the charts. Haaland is first with 5.20 odds followed by Salah with 5.40. Darwin Nunez is third with 6.60, Luis Diaz has 7.00, and Cody Gakpo is 7.60. The anytime goalscorer bet is another interesting one to pick. The order of the players is the same, but the odds are lower at 2.24, 2.32, 2.80, 2.95, and 3.25, respectively.
Season-Long Outright Bets
Since we are talking about the title race this early in the season, it makes sense to also check out the outright bets. It is months before the league will be over and the trophies handed out, but it does not hurt to take our attention to the season-long bets and check out who the favorites are at this interesting point in the season. Of course, the winner of the league, according to the bookies, is probably going to be Liverpool. They lead the odds chart with 1.81 which is almost a lock at this point. Arsenal is second with 4.25, leaving Manchester City third with 4.50. Chelsea is second with very high odds of 21.00 which some bettors could decide to capitalize on.
The top goalscorer seasonal bet is another straightforward answer, at least right now. The two-time winner Erling Haaland is once again the absolute favorite with 1.34 odds. He has scored 12 goals in 12 games so far and is not looking to stop. However, it is more difficult for him to find the net as many of the players who usually assist him are injured. This could mean that Mohamed Salah overtakes him soon as he has scored 10 goals in 12 matches so far with plenty more to come. His odds to take the top goalscorer title are 5.50 right now, and therefore the perfect bet for true Liverpool believers. If he does win it and you end up betting now, it can be a nice payday for you come spring. Cole Palmer is third with 15.00, Nicolas Jackson is third with 17.00, and Ollie Watkins is fifth with 26.00.
Upcoming Schedule and Fixtures
The Manchester side is probably not thinking too far ahead because of how important the next game is. All of their attention will be focused on beating Liverpool at Anfield, a tall task right now. Still, once that game is over, only 3 days later on December 4 they are hosting Nottingham Forest, the biggest surprise this season and a very tricky team to beat at the moment. Should they win this Sunday, a home win in this next game will allow them to close the gap and increase their chances at a tight title race. On December 7, City is traveling to London to take on Crystal Palace in what should be a much easier win.
On the other hand, Liverpool is traveling to Newcastle for a tough away game. Still, their form makes them the absolute favorite, as is the case for the December 7 game at Everton. These two games can end it for the rivals if they win against City on Sunday. The upcoming schedule is favorable and 9 more points to make it 40 in the middle of December will probably lock the title for Slot and his guys. What a story that would be! But we have to wait and be patient. As Sergio Aguero himself said, this point margin in December can mean nothing as everything can change in only a few games.
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