Soccer is truly a global sport — and the English Premier League showcases some of the best players in the world. Whether you're only familiar with the Premier League through the pop culture phenomenon surrounding Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso, or if you've been following teams since the David Beckham days, streaming networks have made it easier than ever to catch the matches live, even in the United States.
Saturday's match between Manchester City and Liverpool is bound to be a scorcher. There are storylines all around this game, and it’s one you don’t want to miss as a fan. Here's how to watch, and why you'll want to set your alarm clock super early to tune in.
When is Manchester City vs Liverpool?
- When: Saturday, April 1, 4:30 a.m. Pacific/7:30 a.m. Eastern
- Where: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
- TV: Streaming live on Peacock in the U.S.
How to watch Manchester City vs. Liverpool in the US
Here in the states, English Premier League (EPL) games are only televised by NBC and its subsidiaries, since the NBC Sports Group currently holds all broadcasting rights for the league. This might sound a bit restrictive since one company can only broadcast so much, right? Thankfully, NBC shows every Premier League game of the year in one way or another.
For the Manchester City vs. Liverpool match on Saturday morning, you won’t be able to tune in on NBC or USA Network. Due to the early morning kickoff of this game (4:30 a.m. Pacific), it will only be streaming on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock.
To tune into EPL games, you’ll have to get signed up for Peacock Premium. Even though that sounds like it’ll cost you a bit extra, Premium is actually the platform’s base plan and only costs $4.99/month. For a little bit more user-friendly experience with fewer ads and some bonus features, you can opt for Peacock Premium Plus for $9.99/month.
- Peacock Premium ($4.99/month; $49.99/year)
- Peacock Premium Plus ($9.99/month; $99.99/year)
What to know about the Manchester City vs Liverpool game
Coming into this weekend, Manchester City (19-4-4) sits in the second spot in the Premier League table, with 61 points after 27 matches played. As of now, they seem to be the only team that can threaten Arsenal (69 points) for the trophy at the end of the season, but they can’t afford to fall further behind with barely 10 matches to go.
That won’t be easy this weekend when they host rival Liverpool (12-6-8), who are vying for a top-4 finish and would love to spoil City’s season. Sitting in 6th place, Liverpool is currently seven points out of 4th, and are tied with the two teams below them (all at 42). If they want any chance of making it to the Champions League by finishing 4th or better, they also can’t afford a loss on Saturday.
This rivalry match has the makings to be a classic, with City’s striker Erling Haaland potentially making his return from a groin injury. If he plays, Haaland will face off against Liverpool’s stout center back Virgil van Dijk, who is considered the best defensive player in the world. For Liverpool, striker Mo Salah will look to score against City for the fourth time this year in all competitions, while Haaland (42 goals so far this season) works to break Salah’s very own record for goals in a single season for an EPL team (44).