Manchester City vs Liverpool: Preview

Tuesday 8pm, Etihad Stadium

Manchester City 1.83 Draw 3.50 Liverpool 4.50

No new injury concerns for either side, as Mario Balotelli returns to the City squad, and Steven Gerrard(f/g) and Luis Suarez(f/g) will both likely start for Liverpool.

As angry as Roberto Mancini was about the Sunderland result, those are just ‘things that happen’ in football sometimes – on another day, City have that game won within an hour. It shouldn’t be a factor coming into this fixture.

Liverpool have never really got going this season, good results seem invariably to be followed by underwhelming performances. The win against Newcastle was about as good as they’ve been at Anfield at home this term, but to build any momentum off the back of it would require their best away performance of the season so far.

Luis Suarez returning is an obvious boost, but Liverpool are still being short-changed by several of their other starters. Stewart Downing has been average so far, Jordan Henderson largely anonymous, and Charlie Adam hasn’t had the kind of influence on games that he was bought to provide. Depending on which of those players start, more is needed. Hopefully Craig Bellamy(f/g) will be given a chance on the big stage again, his pace, movement and energy will go along way to unsettling the City backline.

Expect City to revert to type. David Silva(f/g) will come back into the starting line-up, as well Sergio Aguero(f/g), Micah Richards and Gael Clichy. Yaya Toure will be key here, because he potentially gives City the midfield weight to strangle Liverpool’s presence in the game. If Jay Spearing starts for the visitors, that would be a concern for Liverpool – he’s a capable player, but one that doesn’t really belong in this type of fixture. It’s possible that Steven Gerrard might be preferred in that role to nullify the Silva threat, because the little Spaniard would surely be favoured in any Spearing match-up.

City win this 2-0.

Best bet: Liverpool not to score at 2.50