Man City vs Liverpool: Betting tips for Saturday's early FA Cup kick-off
Fri, 03 Apr 2026
Fri, 03 Apr 2026
The FA Cup returns this weekend with the quarter-finals, and Saturday’s early kick-off at 12:45pm BST sees Manchester City host Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium in a blockbuster tie.
Our expert football tipster, Terry Foord, takes a look at the epic encounter between two of the best teams remaining in the competition and offers up his best bets.
It’s been a turbulent few weeks for Manchester City. A frustrating 1-1 draw with struggling West Ham dented their Premier League title hopes, followed by a heavy 5-1 Champions League exit to Real Madrid. However, they responded in style by lifting their first trophy of the season, beating Arsenal 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final.
Pep Guardiola’s side now turn their focus to the FA Cup, with a semi-final spot on the line and hopes of a domestic double still alive. With tough league fixtures against Chelsea and Arsenal on the horizon, rotation may be limited — City will want momentum.
Liverpool have also experienced mixed fortunes. After a poor first-leg defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League, they responded emphatically with a 4-0 win at Anfield to progress, setting up a quarter-final clash with PSG.
Domestically, though, form has dipped. Liverpool have lost two and drawn one of their last three league matches — including defeats to Wolves and Brighton, and a draw with Tottenham. They did, however, beat Wolves 3-1 in the FA Cup to reach this stage, setting up this trip to Manchester.
Manchester City won 2-1 at Anfield earlier this season and have taken the last two meetings overall, after Liverpool had previously won back-to-back fixtures. Both teams have scored in six of the last ten encounters, with over 2.5 goals landing in each of the last two.
In FA Cup history, Liverpool have had the upper hand, winning the last four meetings between the sides — including a 3-2 victory in 2022/23. However, City did beat Liverpool 3-2 in the Carabao Cup later that same year, showing how evenly matched these sides remain.
I’m siding with Manchester City here. Their recent head-to-head record, combined with home advantage, gives them the edge — particularly in a high-stakes knockout setting.
For added value, combining City to win with both teams to score looks a strong angle. Liverpool still carries plenty of attacking threat, even with their inconsistent form.
In the bet builder, Nico O’Reilly is worth including to score or assist. He has contributed four goals and three assists this season and is in excellent form, having scored both goals in the EFL Cup final. If he doesn’t start, the bet can simply revert to City to win with both teams scoring.
2pts – Manchester City to win – 3/4 (Ladbrokes)
1pts – Manchester City to win, both teams to score, and Nico O’Reilly to score or assist – 11/2 (Bet365)
Total staked - 3pts
All prices correct at the time of writing. 18+ | Please gamble responsibly.
Terry is a sports writer and tipster with two decades of betting industry experience, most recently featuring a long stint with Punters Lounge.
A keen follower of darts, snooker, football and many other sports, Terry loves getting creative to try and find an edge and particularly enjoys trying to factor the mental side of sport into his punting.
Away from the desk, he is also a long-suffering West Ham fan.
Terry is a sports writer and tipster with two decades of betting industry experience, most recently featuring a long stint with Punters Lounge.
A keen follower of darts, snooker, football and many other sports, Terry loves getting creative to try and find an edge and particularly enjoys trying to factor the mental side of sport into his punting.
Away from the desk, he is also a long-suffering West Ham fan.
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Competition consistency 👏 @ManCity have reached the #EmiratesFACup quarter-finals for the eighth consecutive season 🏆
