Leroy Sane struck the winner as Manchester City beat Liverpool 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium in a fierce Premier League contest on Thursday, inflicting the first loss of the season on Juergen Klopp's side and cutting their lead at the top to four points.
Sadio Mane hit the post for Liverpool in the 18th minute and from the resulting scramble, John Stones's attempted clearance bounced off his keeper Ederson and the City defender did superbly to clear off the line with the ball millimetres from going in.
It was City who broke through five minutes before the break when Bernardo Silva found Sergio Aguero inside the box and the Argentine unleashed a fierce drive, from the tightest of angles, to fire past Alisson and make it 1-0.
Liverpool responded strongly after the break, though, and drew level when Andrew Robertson met a deep Trent Alexander-Arnold cross with a cushioned volley for Roberto Firmino to head in from close range.
City were not finished, though, and restored their lead in the 72nd minute when Raheem Sterling broke from midfield and fed Sane on the left, the German winger driving home off the inside of the far post.
Aguero went close to a third after Sterling led a swift counter-attack but Alisson was up to the task while at the other end Ederson produced a fine save to keep out a Mohammed Salah effort.
Alisson did well again to keep out a close-range blast from Bernardo Silva in the final minute of normal time. Reuters
Re-live all the action:
Liverpool’s consistency has seen them rise to the top of the league table, with no side able to beat them so far this season. As for Pep Guardiola’s City, they had a Christmas to forget after suffering two defeats in a row before beating Southampton last weekend.
Stay with us as we reveal five things to look out for in tonight’s huge Premier League clash…
1. Fernandinho crucial for City...
Fernandinho made his return on Sunday and helped his side to an important 3-1 win over Southampton, setting City up nicely for this evening’s game. The Brazilian’s last appearance came in their 3-1 win over Everton but since his injury the side have drastically lacked creativity and control in midfield, which can only be a result of his unavailability. You could sense how comfortable the attackers felt last weekend knowing the Brazilian was behind them and he was able to distribute the ball forward from deep positions quickly.
In Sunday’s game alone, Fernandinho had a 75% pass success rate, won three aerial duals and completed two dribbles.
He’s a very consistent player who likes to turn up in the big games and it’s vital that he shows up tonight. City have looked defensively fragile in recent performances but they cannot afford to do that against Liverpool because they will be punished. Fernandinho provides defensive stability as well as creativity going forward so City fans will be delighted he’s available tonight.
2. History on Liverpool's side...
By no means is anything decided at this stage in the competition with plenty of games remaining but there are some statistics that Liverpool fans might like to hear. The Reds currently sit on 54 points after 20 games which on its own is very rare. Only three Premier League teams have hit the 50-point mark at this stage. Chelsea in 2005-06, Manchester United in 2006-07 and Manchester City in 2017/18 all managed this feat and what stands out is… they all went on to be crowned champions.
This promising statistic however doesn’t hide the fact that if City can win tonight, they find themselves just four points off the leaders.
History has also gone against Liverpool plenty of times too. They famously threw away a league title nearly 30 years ago to Arsenal in the final moments of the final game. Read our Independent Sport story below looking into what Guardiola makes of Liverpool's illustrious history...
3. City's defence MUST be better...
Despite winning on Sunday, City’s defensive frailties showed up once again. That was their 10th game in a row where they have been unable to keep a clean sheet and the fourth game in a row where they’ve taken the lead and then been pegged back by inferior sides.
Injuries have also had a part to play with powerful left-back Benjamin Mendy and replacement Fabian Delph both out. Oleksandr Zinchenko has found himself starting but has struggled at points, with his error eventually leading to Southampton’s goal.
This seems to be the difference between City and Liverpool at the moment. When a key Liverpool player is missing, a replacement is bought in and fills the gap with ease. This hasn’t always been the case for City, illustrated by the problems that have appeared since Fernandinho’s injury.
If their defence is to improve, this is the game for it. They face one of the most dangerous attacking line-ups in the world and will need to step up if they want to win this vital game.
4. What are Liverpool playing for?
It’s hard to tell how Klopp’s side will shape up for this evenings game. Will they play it safe and grind out a draw or will they go for it? For Man City, anything less than a win is a disappointing result and sees the Reds either maintain their seven point lead or pull away and widen the gap to 10 points.
Klopp will privately know that a draw is a good result for his side, especially away from home. The question is, should Liverpool risk straying away from their usual relentless attacking style?
If the leaders can avoid defeat against City for a second time, that means they’ve survived arguably the two toughest games in the division. How long will it take before people really start to believe they can have an invincible season?
5. Aguero loves playing against the Reds...
City striker Sergio Aguero will be aiming to make it seven in a row against Liverpool at the Etihad this evening in order to help his side close the gap on the leaders.
The Argentinian striker has never found the back of the net at Anfield but has scored in all six of his Premier League home games against Liverpool. City fans will most likely enjoy reading this statistic and if it continues this evening, could Aguero’s side be the first team this season to defeat Jurgen Klopp’s men?
Pundit Paul Merson's early prediction...
More from Merson...
Manchester City v Liverpool: The stats...
Preview
What time does it start?
Manchester City vs Liverpool kicks off at 8pm (GMT)
Where can I watch it?
The top of the table clash will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event.
We will keep you up to date with all the action via our live blog.
Can I stream it?
Sky subscribers can watch the game online for free via the Sky Go app.
Player to watch…
Mo Salah: This game is full of players to watch with Sadio Mane, Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero and Roberto Firmino, to name just a few, all capable of winning games on their own. However, last season’s FSF Men’s Player of the Year winner Mo Salah is possibly the most dangerous.
Liverpool’s blistering speed and attacking style suits Salah to a tee and the Egyptian forward has got 13 goals and seven assists in 20 league appearances so far this season. On his day, he can put any side to the sword.
Form guide…
Manchester City: WLLWLW
Liverpool: WWWWWW
Odds…
Manchester City to win: 26/25
Liverpool to win: 5/2
Draw: 14/5
Prediction…
Manchester City 2-3 Liverpool: With the attacking strength we have on display surely they’ll be goals in this one. The difference is, Liverpool’s defence has proven the most solid in the league so far whereas with City’s back line, questions are still asked. That could well be the deciding factor and Liverpool are going to edge through this one.
