Pep Guardiola has made a total of three changes to his starting lineup for his 1,000th game in management as his Manchester City side play host to reigning Premier League champions Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon.
Rayan Cherki, Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias all return to the first XI at the expense of Savinho, Tijjani Reijnders and John Stones who all began City’s **4-1 Champions League win**over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
Bernardo will captain Man City in midfield and will make his 277th Premier League appearance, moving him above Ederson into third for the most appearances made for the club in the division; only Kevin De Bruyne (285) and David Silva (309) have represented the Citizens in more Premier League matches.
Cherki is also recalled after scoring as a substitute in midweek. The French playmaker provided two assists in his previous Premier League start against Bournemouth last weekend and he is expected to link up with in-form Phil Foden, who enters this contest after his man-of-the-match display, including two goals, against Dortmund.
Jeremy Doku will make his 100th Man City appearance this afternoon and he is expected to operate on the left flank, while leading marksman Erling Haaland - the Premier league’s top scorer with 13 goals in just 10 games - will lead the line.
In the absence of Rodri, Nico Gonzalez will continue at the base of Man City’s midfield, while Dias returns to a four-man backline to play alongside Matheus Nunes, Josko Gvardiol and Nico O’Reilly, protecting Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal.
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool in action on October 4, 2025
Wirtz retains Liverpool starting spot, Isak fit for the bench
As for Liverpool, head coach Arne Slot has named an unchanged starting lineup for this afternoon’s contest following their 1-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid in midweek.
Record signing Alexander Isak has recovered from injury to make the substitutes’ bench, but Hugo Ekitike will begin up front for the Merseysiders.
Fellow big-money summer signing Florian Wirtz is preferred to Cody Gakpo and will continue on the left side of attack, while Mohamed Salah, who has scored in his last two Premier League matches, keeps his place on the right flank.
Dominik Szoboszlai, arguably Liverpool’s standout performer this season, will start in a three-man midfield with Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, which leaves Curtis Jones on the substitutes’ bench.
Following his impressive man-of-the-match display against Real Madrid, Conor Bradley has been rewarded with another start at right-back and will join Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Andrew Robertson in defence, while Giorgi Mamardashvili keeps his place between the sticks.
Manchester City starting lineup: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gonzalez; Bernardo, Cherki, Foden, Doku; Haaland
Subs: Trafford, Reijnders, Stones, Ake, Marmoush, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Bobb, Lewis
Liverpool starting lineup: Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Ekitike, Wirtz
Subs: Woodman, Gomez, Endo, Kerkez, Isak, Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo, Ngumoha
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