Liverpool vs. Man City live stream: Erling Haaland's slump must end in order to make Premier League title push

Anfield has rarely felt more like a last-chance saloon. When the Premier League schedule was released, the meeting between Liverpool and Manchester City was pencilled in as a potential title decider; instead, Sunday’s encounter carries a different, more desperate urgency for both camps.

City arrive on Merseyside nine points adrift of leaders Arsenal and acutely aware that anything other than victory will almost certainly extinguish their remaining championship hopes. Pep Guardiola’s side have banked on Erling Haaland’s robotic efficiency for two seasons, yet the Norwegian’s recent numbers look anything but automatic: one goal in his last five league outings, declining expected-goals totals and a paltry two strikes since the calendar flipped to 2026. Despite the creative presence of Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden, service has not been the problem; fatigue might be. Haaland has logged more than 2,700 minutes across all competitions, carrying an attack for which he remains the primary, secondary and tertiary option.

Opposite him, Florian Wirtz offers Liverpool a ray of form. The German’s goal and assist in the 4-1 rout of Newcastle United last time out continued an upward curve that Anfield desperately needs. Arne Slot’s side sit sixth, four points behind Chelsea with a match in hand, and while the Reds have lost only once in their last five league fixtures, four draws in that sequence have left them outside the Champions League places. Chelsea and Manchester United are pulling away; Liverpool cannot afford another stumble.

The tactical chess match between Slot and Guardiola, then, is framed by a simple subplot: can anyone locate Haaland’s scoring switch before Liverpool consign City to a near-fatal gap at the summit? Conversely, can Slot’s rearguard extend the striker’s barren run and, in doing so, keep their own European dream alive?

Kick-off approaches with both clubs staring at crossroads. A win reignites belief; a loss likely buries it. For Haaland, the stage is set to silence the slump. For Liverpool, the mission is to make it linger just a little longer.