Sport Live Blogs

GRAB your popcorn football fans as Liverpool and Manchester City face off in a Premier League match which could have huge implications on where the title ends up in May.Both English giants had to sit back and watch Arsenal jump above them following their gruelling 2-1 win over London rivals Brentford.But three points for either side this afternoon would see them climb up to top spot with just ten games to play in this thrilling season.
Kick-off time: 3:45pm
Live stream: NOW TV
TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event / Premier League 
Liverpool starting XI: Van Dijk; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Gomez; Szoboszlai, Endo, Mac Allister; Elliot, Nunez, Diaz
Man City starting XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Akanji, Ake, Rodri, Silva, De Bruyne, Alvarez, Foden, Haaland
Explainer: Why did the game kick-off at 3:45pm?
PADDY POWER WELCOME OFFER – get £40 in free bet builder betsLiverpool 0-0 Man City
21. Man City are knocking the ball around and trying to slow down play.
They look a little unsure of themselves when Liverpool play their high-tempo football, a trademark of a Jurgen Klopp side.
Pep Guardiola continues to bark instructions from the touchline.
Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
19. Walker has been penalised for fouls twice now as he looks to drop into the centre of midfield.
The referee is trying to let the game flow but you feel the next time he will see yellow.
Nunez makes a run and squares it for Diaz to knock it into an empty net but the flag goes up for offside.
Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
17. Diaz gets to run at the Man City defence for the first time.
He clips a cross into the box but Nunez cannot adjust to send his header towards goal.
This is more like it from Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Credit: Reuters
Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
15. Liverpool are starting to knock the ball around more now.
Making Man City chase it as they look to press high up the pitch.
Nunez takes up a wide position and drills a ball towards Szoboszlai but the midfielder cannot get it under control.
Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
13. It is rare in these games to see the away team dominating in the early stages of the match.
Bradley gets forward for the first time and puts a teasing ball across the six yard box.
Nunez slides in at the back post but cannot reach it, colliding with the post instead.
Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
11. Man City are looking to take this game to Liverpool today.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are failing to hold onto possession currently.
They need to ask more questions of the visitors’ defence.
Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
9. An early chance for the visitors as De Bruyne looks to lift the ball over Kelleher but it narrowly misses the far post.
Moments later, City are coming forward again and the Belgian playmaker tries his luck from distance but Kelleher beats it away.
Pep Guardiola’s side are trying to turn the screw in the early stages.
Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
7. The fans are making themselces heard, getting behind their team.
A loose clearance by Ederson almost gifts the ball to The Reds.
Walker is looking lively in the early exchanges, using his pace to cover balls in behind the defence.
Credit: Reuters
Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
5. De Bruyne gets down the right flank and crosses into the box.
It is too deep for anyone to attack and Alvarez recycles the ball.
Liverpool’s defence stands firm as they look to counter.
Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
3. The whistles and jeers ring out when Man City have the ball.
Alvarez has the first sight of goal but his left-footed shot is saved easily by Kelleher.
It maybe a little different this time around with the visitors seeing far more possession than you would usually expect in these games.
Copy linkCopiedLiverpool 0-0 Man City
1. The wait is over, this crucial match is finally upon us.
Nunez is making some runs into the channels early on, looking to stretch the visitors’ defence.
Games do not get much bigger than this one.
Copy linkCopiedKick-off: Liverpool vs Man City
We are underway at Anfield.
As you can imagine, it is a cauldron of noise as ever.
Liverpool get the game started.
Copy linkCopiedThe one they all want to own
In case anyone needed reminding what the importance of this game has on the title race, the trophy itself is pitchside.
While this game won’t win either side the crown, it will act as a springboard for the run in.
If Man City want to make it four in a row, they need to come through this difficult Anfield challenge unscathed today.
Credit: Getty
Copy linkCopiedKlopp’s side come into game as underdogs
Man City are fancied to come away from Anfield with all three points.
Liverpool – 9/4
Draw – 13/5
Manchester City – 11/10
All match odds brought to you by Betway.
Copy linkCopiedAtmosphere building at Anfield
It will be an intimidating place to come as ever for the visitors today.
As we edge closer to kick-off, tensions are building.
It will be a cauldron of noise at Anfield when the whistle gets us underway.
Credit: Getty
Credit: Reuters
Copy linkCopiedArsenal laying marker to rivals
Having gone top of the table with a late victory against Brentford yesterday, it is over to these two teams today.
Only victory would take either Liverpool or Man City to the summit of the Premier League.
The stakes could not be higher for this crucial match in the title race.
Copy linkCopiedA tale of two strikers
Whoever comes out on top this afternoon will need their strikers on top form.
One of the exciting things about this crucial match is both sides have forwards who are at the top of their game right now.
Nobody would fancy being a defender today.

Copy linkCopiedMan City subs:
18. Ortega, 3. Dias, 8. Kovacic, 11. Doku, 21. Gomez, 24. Gvardiol, 27. Nunes, 52. Bobb, 82. Lewis
Copy linkCopiedMan City starting XI:
Both Doku and Nunes make the bench following injury concerns for this top-of-the-table clash.
31. Ederson, 2. Walker, 5. Stones, 25. Akanji, 6. Ake, 16. Rodri, 17. De Bruyne, 20. Bernardo, 19. Alvarez, 9. Haaland, 47. Foden
Credit: @ManCity
Copy linkCopiedLiverpool subs:
13. Adrian, 11. Salah, 18. Gakpo, 21. Tsimikas, 26. Robertson, 42. Clark, 53. McConnell, 65. Nallo, 67. Koumas
Copy linkCopiedLiverpool starting XI:
The big news is that there is no Mohamed Salah in the starting line-up and Andrew Robertson is also on the bench.
62. Kelleher, 2. Gomez, 4. Van Dijk, 78. Quansah, 84. Bradley, 10. Mac Allister, 3. Endo, 8. Szoboszlai, 19. Elliott, 9. Nunez, 7. Diaz
Credit: @LFC
Copy linkCopiedHome is where the heart is
Under their current managers, these two teams have faced each other twenty times.
The away side has only ever won twice in all of these encounters.
If the trend continues today, it would be a huge statement by Klopp’s inexperienced side that they are ready to win the title one last time for their manager.
Copy linkCopiedInjury-ravaged Reds facing ultimate test
While Liverpool have managed to continue winning even without a lot of their star players due to injury, the visit of Man City will be the ultimate test today.
With three clubs locked in a title battle, three points could be the springboard for either of these teams to go on and win the Premier League this season.
Arsenal went top of the league yesterday with a late winner against Brentford, putting pressure on both of these sides today.
Copy linkCopiedEnd of an era
Unless the pair were drawn together in this season’s FA Cup, we may be witnessing the end of a historic era of Premier League football.
Today’s game could be the final time Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola face each other, something that has elevated the competition in recent years.
Both managers would love nothing more to get one over the other for one last time.
Credit: Reuters
Copy linkCopiedTeam news from Anfield
Liverpool will be without Ben Doak, Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Stefan Bajcetic, Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch through injury.
A welcome sight during the week was the substitute appearance of Mohamed Salah who is likely to be involved this afternoon, possibly from the bench.
Ibrahima Konate will have a late fitness test after he hobbled off in the victory over Sparta Prague on Thursday.
For Man City, Matheus Nunes suffered a dislocated finger against Copenhagen but is likely to be on the bench for today’s game.
Jeremy Doku also did not play in the second leg after complaining about muscular issues, it is doubtful he will be involved today and Jack Grealish is out with a groin issue.
Guardiola rested Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Nathan Ake to get a complete rest in midweek and if Doku is not fit for today, he is likely to be replaced by Alvarez.
Copy linkCopied More

JOHN McGINN had stated just how much this match mattered to Aston Villa – and perhaps that explained why, when it was all going so wrong for his side, he lost his head.The likeable Scot is known for being a combative midfielder but not a dirty one.James Maddison and Brennan Johnson’s quickfire goals set Tottenham on their wayCredit: PASon Heung-min fired in as the clocked ticked into injury timeCredit: ReutersWhich is why his wild and aggressive kick-out on Destiny Udogie, shortly after Spurs’ quickfire double through James Maddison and Brennan Johnson, seemed so out of character.The man advantage allowed Spurs to run riot, with Son Heung-min scoring a third and teeing up a fourth for sub Timo Werner.McGinn had labelled this game the “most important” league fixture in years in the build-up, given a win for Villa would go a hell of a long way to securing a Champions League finish.Spurs went into this five points behind their fourth-placed hosts, albeit with a game to play.Lose and that would be extended to eight which would surely KO their chances of usurping Unai Emery’s men.Yet now the gap is only two points, with Spurs having the game advantage and a marginally preferable run-in, save for a horrendous-looking end of April/early May.Fifth place may still be enough for qualification to Europe’s elite club competition if the coefficient battle goes England’s way.But even so, Villa will know what an opportunity missed this was.BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSAnd why McGinn, who had never been red-carded for Villa before today, became so frustrated.Emery may well be kicking himself too from a tactical perspective.James Maddison gives young Tottenham fan ‘memory to last a lifetime’ as England star shows his true colours The Spaniard has played a blinder for most of the season but his surprise tweak here to go to five at the back looked a mistake.Perhaps it was due to Villa’s exertions in Europe, drawing at Ajax on Thursday before the second leg with the Dutch giants in three days.But it hindered their attacking output, with man-of-the-moment Ollie Watkins feeding off scraps.Emery’s rejigged system saw Matty Cash pushed from right-back to wing-back.The Polish international had become Public Enemy No1 with Spurs supporters after injuring Rodrigo Bentancur and Matt Doherty with poor tackles in the last two years.Cash received dog’s abuse at every opportunity from the travelling fans, especially when he prepared to take a throw-in right in front of them midway through the first half.The only chance – or half-chance, really – of a dreary first half came when Lucas Digne diverted McGinn’s cross off his shoulder just wide of the far post.This game pitted arguably the striker and defender of the season against each other in Watkins and Micky Van de Ven.But Spurs’ defender Van de Ven was forced off through injury minutes into the second period.The jet-heeled Dutchman had just flung himself in front of a shot from Leon Bailey – who was offside anyway – and seconds later, collapsed to the turf.Encouragingly, Van de Ven managed to walk off the pitch but headed straight down the tunnel, to be replaced by January signing Radu Dragusin.Van de Ven probably was still on his way to the dressing room when Maddison put Spurs ahead.It came from a pinpoint cross from Pape Matar Sarr, who laid the ball on a plate for Maddison to poke past Emi Martinez.The England star then had a bit of fun with the home crowd, who had been ribbing him for his Leicester connections, by throwing imaginary darts their way in celebration.Maddison broke the deadlock just after half-timeCredit: ReutersBrennan Johnson found the roof of the net in styleCredit: ReutersThree minutes later, Spurs doubled their lead after capitalising on some lax play by Ezri Konsa.The Villa defender dilly-dallied on the ball and then played it behind Youri Tielemans, allowing Dejan Kulusevski to intercept.He then passed it onto Son, who fed Johnson to finish high into the net. The ex-Nottingham Forest man followed up Maddison by telling the Villa fans to keep quiet as he wheeled away.A visibly-peeved Emery responded with a three-sub change, bringing on Nicolo Zaniolo, Moussa Diaby and Alex Moreno, doing away with his back five in the process.Among the players to come off was centre-back Clement Lenglet, who spent last season on loan at Spurs before temporarily joining Villa from Barcelona this term.But the new players’ chance to make a difference evaporated when McGinn had his moment of madness on 65 minutes.John McGinn clattered into Destiny UdogieCredit: RexTempers flared on the touchline after the challengeCredit: PAThe Villa captain saw red for the first time in his Villa careerCredit: RexOnly four players have scored more goals for Tottenham than SonCredit: GettyTimo Werner expertly guided the ball inside the far post for the fourthCredit: ReutersSpurs full-back Udogie was embarking on one of his stereotypical dribbles when Villa’s captain came rushing across and went right through him with an X-rated tackle. The young Italian reacted angrily, as did his team-mates and staff, in a mini melee by the touchline.Emery did his best to drag McGinn away, while Spurs boss Ange Postecglou also tried to act as peace-maker.It was such a bad challenge that the red card subsequently produced by ref Chris Kavanagh was the only course of action.The game was up at that point, with the only question remaining whether Spurs were going to rub any more salt into their top-four rivals’ wounds.Son provided the answer of a resounding yes as he dispatched Kulusevski’s cutback in injury time, before then teeing up Werner to do the same three minutes later.The pressure was on going into this important game – as McGinn’s pre-match comments underlined – but only one team managed to handle it.Here’s how the action unfolded at Villa Park… More

ANDREW OMABAMIDELE’S own goal handed Brighton a win by the skin of their teeth in what was a do or die fixture for their season.The Seagulls desperately needed to steady the ship after their campaign all but imploded after their catastrophic 4-0 drubbing at Roma on Thursday. Brighton bounced back from their European humiliation with a narrow 1-0 winCredit: GettyAn own goal from Nottingham Forest’s Andrew Omobamidele proved to be the differenceCredit: ReutersHere’s how the teams fared on paperThe match was largely evenThey had already crashed out of the FA Cup to Wolves and were thrashed 3-0 by Fulham in the league in the space of ten days. But yesterday’s narrow win was a gleam of hope for the Seagulls getting back on track and securing European football for another season. They came into the game only winning two Premier League games this year and slipping down to ninth place, but have climbed back into eighth.You could tell how much it meant by how Roberto De Zerbi and his coaching staff embraced for a group cuddle when the final whistle sounded. Consistency has been a key problem with Brighton being decimated with injuries this season. It doesn’t help that De Zerbi has chopped and changed the side in every match and yesterday he made a whopping seven alterations to the starting XI from Rome. De Zerbi notably opted for Bart Verbruggen between the posts instead of Jason Steele as he continues to controversially rotate his goalkeepers. Meanwhile for Forest it is now just one win in their last 13 matches across all competitions, and they are teetering just above Luton in the relegation zone by three points. CHELTENHAM BETTING OFFERS – BEST FREE BET DEALS FOR THE FESTIVAL At this rate they are enacting a master plan of dealing with a potential points deduction by ensuring they are already relegated regardless of it. Simon Adingra caused havoc for Forest on the left-flank, and stung the palms of Matz Sels with a curling shot after being teed up by Pascal Gross early on.Every Premier League stadium ranked by the number of pubs nearby with one boasting over 130 local boozersJakub Moder then forced Sels to tip out a menacing header after latching onto a pin-point Pascal Gross free-kick. Ansu Fati had a go with a header which would have gone in had it not ricocheted off Neco Williams. The deadlock was finally broken on 28 minutes – not that anyone knew much about it. It all began with Gross whipping in a free-kick towards Moder who was squeezed between Andrew Omabamidele and Sels. It was actually Omobamidele who turned it in and it went down as an own goal. Forest hit back strongly with Verbruggen making a crucial save with an outstretched foot on an onrushing Divock Origi. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side emerged from the restart with more oomph. And Forest fans were livid when Neco Williams tussled with Pervis Estupinan and the ball deflected behind but a goal kick was given instead of a corner. Tempers flared, with Estupinan the culprit again for body slamming Anthony Elanga.And they reached boiling point when Moder was booked for wildly lunging in on Williams and catching his ankle. VAR checked for a possible red card and it easily looked as though it could have been upgraded – but Craig Pawson agreed with referee Michael Salisbury’s call. Forest were building and Morgan Gibbs-White supplied a peach of a pass to Chris Wood who shaved the face of goal with a low drive. At the other end substitute Julio Enciso nearly nabbed his first goal in ten months after shaving the post with a long-range screamer late on. As the clock was ticking, a looping Cheikhou Koyate header landed on the roof of the net to give the hosts a scare. There were handbags in the dying moments when Adam Lallana was booked for barging into Ibrahim Sanagre.Remind yourself how the game went with SunSport’s live blog below
Kick off time: 2pm GMT
TV/Stream: Not available in the UK
PADDY POWER WELCOME OFFER – get £40 in free bet builder bets More

WEST HAM host Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday Sunday.The Hammers are in fine form of late picking up back-to-back wins in the top flight, while the Clarets are in need of a win to boost their slim survival chances.
Kick off time: 2pm GMT
TV/Stream: Not available in the UK More