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Man City host Liverpool

Sport
Manchester City will be keen to pick up all three points when they host Liverpool at Etihad Stadium tomorrow afternoon.

MANCHESTER — Manchester City will be keen to pick up all three points when they host Liverpool at Etihad Stadium tomorrow afternoon.

Report by Soccerway

Cross-town rivals and league leaders Manchester United have edged seven points in front at the head of the table and could be even further clear by the time this clash kicks off.

Manchester United travel to London to tackle Fulham today, meaning City’s encounter with Liverpool is a must-win match if they are to stay in touch for a second consecutive league title.

But Liverpool are a much improved side under manager Brendan Rodgers and will prove no pushover.

Rodgers’ side have lost just one league game in 2013 — against Manchester United at Old Trafford 2-1 — and have moved up to seventh place on the table to remain in touch with those teams battling it out to qualify for European football next season.

City are undefeated so far in 2013, but were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw at QPR in their most recent league encounter as they dropped valuable points in the chase for the title.

Roberto Mancini’s side have conceded just 19 times in the league this campaign through 24 matches and no team can boast a defensive record even close to that.

Third-placed Chelsea have the second best defensive record in the league, but they have let through five more goals than City and Liverpool have conceded 30 times.

That makes us think that goal-mouth action is going to be a premium in this clash, despite the fact that there were four goals when the two teams met earlier in the season.

On that occasion Carlos Tevez netted in the 80th minute to rescue a point for City in an entertaining match at Anfield that saw Yaya Toure, Luis Suarez and Martin Skrtel also get on the scoresheet.

Of course both teams look a bit different now, given the recent January transfer window saw every team in the top flight — apart from West Bromwich Albion — bring in at least one new player. City signed Ghanaian striker Godsway Donyoh then loaned him out to Swedish side Djurgarden, while controversial front man Mario Balotelli left England to join Italian giants AC Milan.

Daniel Sturridge has already made his Liverpool debut after signing from Chelsea last month, while talented midfielder Philippe Coutinho found his way from Inter Milan to Anfield and is in line to play his first game against City.

Last season City beat Liverpool 3-0 at home in the league, but it was a different story in the Carling Cup one week later at the same venue when the Merseyside club registered a 1-0 victory.

Liverpool have no new fresh injury concerns for this clash, while City have doubts over Vincent Kompany (calf) and Micah Richards (knee) and the Touré brothers — Yaya and Kolo — remain away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast.