LIVERPOOL and Man City clash today at Anfield in a game which could prove pivotal in the Premier League title race.
- Kick-off time: 4.30pm GMT
- Live stream: Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League/NOW TV
- Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Henderson, Robertson, Wijnaldum, Jones, Thiago, Mane, Salah, Firmino.
- Man City XI: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Stones, Zinchenko, Rodrigo, Gundogan, Bernando Silva, Mahrez, Foden, Sterling.
Follow ALL the action and build-up with our live blog below…
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KLOPP VERSUS GUARDIOLA
The two managers on show today have revolutionised the English game since arriving at their respective clubs.
Here’s how their numbers match up.
STERLING SEARCHING FOR PEP CENTURY
Raheem Sterling starts through the middle for Manchester City this afternoon, and will have his eye on a notable landmark. The forward has scored 99 goals in all competitions for Manchester City under the management of Pep Guardiola.
His next goal will see him become the third player to reach triple figures under the Spaniard, placing him alongside Lionel Messi (211) and Sergio Agüero (120).
Two of Sterling’s 99 goals for Guardiola have been against his former club Liverpool although he has never managed to find the net as a visiting player to Anfield.
Raheem Sterling has scored 99 goals under Pep Guardiola.
HOME COMFORTS
It’s fortunate that it’s little more than 35 miles that separate these two clubs because it’s usually a miserable return journey home for the away side when they meet.
MANCHESTER CITY SUBSTITUTES
13 Steffen, 9 Jesus, Laporte, 14 Torres, 22 Mendy, 25 Fernandinho, 50 Garcia, 69 Doyle, 82 Bernabe
MANCHESTER CITY XI
Pep Guardiola also goes with a 4-3-3 that sees Oleksandr Zinchenko return to the side at left-back. The Ukrainian takes the place of Aymeric Laporte, who is back on the bench. Gabriel Jesus is another named as a substitute to make room for Phil Foden. The England international is likely to start on the left that should mean a central role for Raheem Sterling against his former club.
31 Ederson; 27 Cancelo, 5 Stones, 3 Dias, 11 Zinchenko; 20 Silva, 16 Rodrigo, 8 Gundogan; 26 Mahrez, 7 Sterling, 47 Foden
LIVERPOOL SUBSTITUTES
13 Adrian, 7 Milner, 15 Oxlade-Chamberlain, 19 Kabak, 21 Tsimikas, 23 Shaqiri, 27 Origi, 47 Phillips, 76 N Williams
LIVERPOOL XI
Jurgen Klopp makes four changes to the team beaten by Brighton in midweek. Alisson returns in goal as Caoimhin Kelleher drops out of the squad while Fabinho is back in central defence at the expense of Nathaniel Phillips. The Brazilian is reunited with his makeshift defensive partner Jordan Henderson. Curtis Jones replaces James Milner while Sadio Mane has been passed fit to play ahead of Xherdan Shaqiri. It’s the usual 4-3-3 formation for the Reds.
1 Alisson; 66 Alexander-Arnold, 3 Fabinho, 14 Henderson, 26 Robertson; 6 Thiago, 5 Wijnaldum, 17 Jones; 11 Salah, 9 Firmino, 10 Mane
THE TEAMSHEETS ARE IN!
ANFIELD TRIPS HAVE CITY SINGING THE BLUES
Manchester City have swept all before them since the Abu Dhabi billions arrived at the Etihad Stadium – but Khaldoon Al Mubarak has yet to see his club succeed at Anfield.
City haven’t win at the home of Liverpool in the league in 2003, losing 13 of their 19 games there in all competitions.
BIG BOOST FOR REDS
The starting line-ups will be announced in ten minutes but there is some early good news for Liverpool fans…
CLEAN SHEET CITY
Despite Pep Guardiola’s regular rotation of his defence, the Manchester City backline has proved rock solid in recent weeks.
City have conceded a league-low 13 goals in their 21 games this season, and have kept a clean sheet in each of their last six matches. The Citizens have shut out Burnley, Sheffield United, West Brom, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Brighton, making it nine hours in total since Callum Hudson-Odoi’s consolation goal in their 3-1 victory at Chelsea.
They have never before kept seven consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League.
THIS IS ANFIELD
Welcome to our live coverage of the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City.
Less than 24 hours after Manchester and Merseyside played out a thrilling 3-3 draw at Old Trafford, two more titans of the north-west go head-to-head as the champions host the leaders.
The pair served up an exciting tie of their own back in November when Gabriel Jesus cancelled out Mohamed Salah’s penalty at the Etihad.
A point that day wasn’t quite enough for Liverpool to regain their place at the summit of the Premier League, but it did allow City to crawl into the top half of the table.
However, all has changed.
An away win this afternoon and it would be Pep Guardiola’s team that move five points clear at the top with a game in hand on their nearest challengers – and a whopping ten points ahead of today’s opponents.
City’s renaissance is due to an extraordinary streak of 13 straight wins in all competitions amid an unbeaten run of 20 games.
The prospect of Liverpool losing at home to anyone – even City – seemed an impossibility three weeks ago, but after successive defeats to Burnley and Brighton, their fortress has well and truly been penetrated. Another loss would mean their worst sequence of league defeats at Anfield in more than half a century.
The Reds’ injury travails continue with Sadio Mane and Fabinho now fitness doubts although Jurgen Klopp’s men should be boosted by the return of goalkeeper Alisson, as well as the availability of new signing Ozan Kabak.
City remain without Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero, but the Manchester club have shown few signs of their absence lately with the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling stepping up to the plate in style.
We’ll have official confirmation of the today’s teams shortly with kick-off scheduled for 4.30pm.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
