Good evening! Boy do we have a treat for you tonight! 2019 may only be three days old, but already we have the biggest game of the season so far on offer here as champions
Manchester City host unbeaten Premier League leaders
Liverpool at Anfield!
It promises to be a mouth-watering contest - and perhaps even a make-or-break one for Pep Guardiola's hosts, who are bidding to end an incredible run of form for their opponents.
There is plenty to look at before kickoff in an hour's time, so let's start by checking out the all-important team news...
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Ederson; Danilo, Stones, Kompany, Laporte; Bernardo, Fernandinho, Silva; Sterling, Aguero, Sane
MAN CITY SUBS: Muric, Walker, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Otamendi, Jesus
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Mignolet, Fabinho, Keita, Moreno, Sturridge, Lallana, Shaqiri
What can we make of that all-important team news, then?
Well, both managers make interesting calls, but we'll start with the home side and the first thing to note is that Kevin De Bruyne does not making the starting XI, despite returning to training after his recent muscle injury which kept him out of the win over Southampton.
The Belgian is deemed fit enough for the bench today, but Pep Guardiola has chosen not to throw him straight back in in a game of such intensity given his injury troubles this season.
It is an unchanged midfield trio as the Silvas - Bernardo and David - sit either side of Fernandinho, who made a welcome return against Southampton having been sorely missed in back-to-back defeats against Leicester and Crystal Palace before that.
There is a change further forward, however, as Leroy Sane replaces Riyad Mahrez in the starting lineup alongside Aguero and former Liverpool man Raheem Sterling.
Guardiola's defensive selection is interesting, with the team sheet suggesting Aymeric Laporte may be playing at left-back today - although that is a position John Stones has been used in before this season and so he seems like a more likely option there.
Captain Vincent Kompany also starts for the second time in a matter of days, meaning that Stones replacing Zinchenko - who misses out entirely - is the second of two changes made by Guardiola from the win over Southampton.
Almost every member of this Man City team is capable of doing damage to Liverpool, but the man the visitors will be most wary of is
Sergio Aguero, who needs just one more goal to reach 250 in his league career.
The Argentine has a formidable record at home to Liverpool too, scoring in all six of his home league appearances against the Reds down the years. Another one today could prove to be one of the more valuable of his 250 in the leagues.
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The biggest question looking at Liverpool's team selection is which formation they will use, with
Jurgen Klopp favouring the 4-2-3-1 system which has brought them such success recently.
There is still the option of playing in that formation with the players selected, but we are more used to seeing each of Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum in a midfield two of three - rather than behind the striker - so there is the possibility that the Reds could be switching back to a 4-3-3 for this match.
Klopp has gone for experience in that midfield, with new boys Fabinho, Keita and Shaqiri all left on the bench, but there was never much doubt about the identities of the other eight players on the teamsheet.
Alisson comes up against his Brazilian compatriot and opposite number Ederson in goal today, while in defence the continued absences of Gomez and Matip mean that there was little option to switch things up even if Klopp had wanted too - although the performances of Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Robertson and particular Van Dijk of late means that he probably wouldn't have anyway.
It is that defensive core which has been Liverpool's most impressive unit of the season so far - and we will speak about it a little more later on - but the attack is beginning to catch up once again.
Roberto Firmino will be feeling particularly confident coming into this match having netted a hat-trick in his last outing against Arsenal on Saturday, although whether he will play in his newer number 10 role or as the central striker tonight remains to be seen.
The main Liverpool dangerman remains Mohamed Salah, though, with the Egyptian having now both scored and provided an assist in each of his last three Premier League outings.
He also has a good record against Manchester City having scored three goals and set up two more in his last four games against them in all competitions, so the prospect of coming to the Etihad is more likely to excite him than daunt him tonight.
Sadio Mane may not have as fond memories of this stadium having been sent off in the corresponding league fixture last season, although since then he has been on the winning side in the Champions League, of course.
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There is quality everywhere on both sides, then, and there is an argument to be made that these two sides are right now among the best the Premier League has ever seen - although Liverpool first have to win something to enter that argument while Tottenham fans will rightly point out that they are actually above City in the table as things stand.
Pep Guardiola's men only need a draw today to move back above Spurs into second, but they will know that only a win will really do considering the remarkable form Liverpool have shown so far this season.
Some City players have been quick to play down the magnitude of this match, but it could prove to be make or break for their hopes of becoming the first team in a decade to retain the Premier League title, with defeat opening up a 10-point deficit to Liverpool while victory closes the gap to a much more manageable four points.
It was the Christmas period which has left City in such a predicament, losing back-to-back matches against Crystal Palace and Leicester City while Liverpool continued their relentless winning run.
Man City have since returned to winning ways - cruising to a 3-1 victory over Southampton on Sunday after surviving a brief scare when the Saints momentarily equalised - but the damage may well have been done already.
Pep Guardiola's side had not lost a league game to a team outside the established top six in almost two years before those results, but in those two games they dropped as many points as Liverpool having throughout the entire Premier League season so far.
So high are the standards now that successive loss can prove fatal to any title hopes.
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It is an unusual position for City to be in, having been so dominant last season and never needing to play catch-up. Indeed, after 20 games of the 2017-18 campaign, Guardiola's side already sat 15 points clear at the top, and 20 above Liverpool, having dropped only two points all season up to that point.
The 27-point swing is more a reflection of how much Liverpool have improved rather than Man City losing their quality, but the champions are still 11 points worse off than at the same stage of last term. That said, their current tally would also have been enough to leave them top of the table after 20 games last season too, so the level of competition has significantly increased.
It is not just the successive defeats to Palace and Leicester which have hampered City's hopes - they were also beaten by Chelsea in December to leave them with three losses in their last five league games, as many as they had suffered in their previous 70 before that.
The champions are today looking for back-to-back wins for the first time in almost a month, while victory would also be their 100th under manager Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola has never lost back-to-back home league games in his illustrious managerial career - a fate he is in danger of suffering today - while Man City as a club have not done so since February 2016.
It just so happens that Klopp is something of a bogey opponent for Guardiola, though, with the German winning seven of their previous 15 meetings - more victories than any other manager has achieved against him. In home games against Klopp, Guardiola has a distinctly mixed record of two wins, two draws and two defeats.
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One thing Guardiola may have to solve to prevent that problem from getting any worse today is their defensive work, with City having failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 10 matches across all competitions - their longest run since February 2015.
Indeed, the champions have now conceded twice as many goals as their opponents this season, and after a run of six consecutive Premier League clean sheets, they come into this one having conceded in nine of their last 10 top-flight outings.
Man City do still boast the best attack in the division, but Liverpool are fast closing that gap too with nine goals in their last two outings.
Indeed, after scoring three or more goals in just three of their opening 12 league games, Liverpool have since managed it six times in their last eight to silence suggestions once and for all that their attacking trio are failing to live up to last season's standards.
It is the defence which has been the main difference between Liverpool and their rivals this season, though, with the Reds posting the joint-best figures after 20 games in the 130-year history of the English top flight.
Only Chelsea's team of 2004-05 can match the stinginess of Liverpool's defence so far this term, having shipped only eight goals in their 20 league outings - half as many as the next meanest defence and a far cry from the recent days when their back line was considered their weakness.
Arsenal did manage to score a rare goal against the Reds on Saturday, but Liverpool responded brilliantly to falling behind on that occasion and were in the lead within five minutes courtesy of Roberto Firmino's quickfire brace.
The Brazilian went on to score a hat-trick as Liverpool swept a top-five rival aside in a 5-1 drubbing, with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah also on the scoresheet. A repeat against Man City may be unlikely, but the result would have boosted Liverpool's confidence even more as they made it nine wins on the bounce.
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Liverpool last enjoyed a longer winning run in 2013-14, when an 11-game streak took them to the brink of the Premier League title, although they will be wary of the fact that they enjoyed a nine-point lead over Man City in April that year and still went on to surrender the title to the Citizens, who in fairness did also have two games in hand.
This time around the belief is once again growing on Merseyside that this could be their year to end the long title drought, and a victory today would leave them nine points clear of second-placed Tottenham and 10 above Man City with 17 games of the season remaining.
Liverpool went into 2019 with a seven-point lead at the top of the table, and no team has ever failed to win the title having been that far ahead at the turn of the year.
Indeed, this is only the ninth time that a team has reached the 20-game mark of a top-flight season without losing a game - Liverpool doing so twice - and you have to go back to Sheffield United in 1899-1900 for the last and only time a team failed to win the league from that position.
The omens all look good for Liverpool, then, and should they win today then it is hard to see them throwing it away considering they have dropped only six points throughout the entire campaign so far, putting them on course to surpass even Man City's 100-point tally from last season.
However, should Liverpool lose then the pressure will really begin to pile on their shoulders, and then it will be all about their reaction to the defeat. The Reds need only look at today's opponents for evidence of how costly back-to-back defeats can be in this title race.
One thing Liverpool simply must avoid is their usual January dip in form, having won just five of their 17 competitive outings in the month - losing seven of those across all competitions.
The Reds could also do with improving their away record in these big matches having won just one such game in their last 10 attempts, although even a draw tonight will suit them much more than it will City. Liverpool have also won their last four league away games, conceding just once in the process, and are unbeaten in 10 so far this season.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at the Etihad Stadium, which means that it is time for a prediction!
Liverpool have proved in recent years that they can beat Man City - and win here at the Etihad too - but there is no getting away from the fact that City are still such a dangerous team. It is a match both sides will be going into looking to win - and it really could go either way - so we're going to have to sit on the fence and plump for a draw.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Man City 1-1 Liverpool
A 1-1 draw may seem quite low-scoring for two potent attacking teams, but despite scoring 136 goals between them in the league and cup this season, they played out a goalless draw in the reverse fixture at Anfield in October.
Indeed, it was more than an hour before either side had a shot on target in that match, although City did waste a golden chance to claim all three points - and perhaps change the course of the season - when Riyad Mahrez blazed a late penalty over the crossbar.
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Man City won the corresponding league fixture last season 5-0 after Mane had been controversial sent off, but that is their only victory in the past 11 meetings across all competitions, discounting penalty shootouts.
Liverpool have won seven of those, including their most recent visit to the Etihad Stadium, when they won 2-1 to secure their place in the semi-finals of the Champions League in April.
Liverpool have won just one of their last nine league visits to this stadium, though - a 4-1 win in
Jurgen Klopp's first away game against City in November 2015 - and they will be hoping that the roles are not reversed from last season tonight.
It was Liverpool who ended Man City's bid for Invincibility when they met in January last season, with the Reds running out 4-3 winners at Anfield to inflict a first league defeat of the campaign on the eventual champions.
Right, the players are out and we are almost ready to go for this blockbuster showdown. A quick reminder of the team news before we do get underway...
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Ederson; Danilo, Stones, Kompany, Laporte; Bernardo, Fernandinho, Silva; Sterling, Aguero, Sane
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane
KICKOFF: Here we go, then! They do not get too much bigger than this one, and Liverpool get us underway at the Etihad!
Nervy moment for Alisson early on as, under pressure from Silva, he slices a clearance out of play for a throw-in. Not the best start for the visitors.
There were a couple of questions about how both sides would set up for this match and Man City have indeed started with Laporte at left-back.
This has been a shaky start from Liverpool, who have misplaced a few passes when trying to play out from the back. They will not get away with that for too long against this City side.
The crowd - and the players - are very much up for this one! There is a cracking atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium, and Fernandinho has already clattered into a couple of heavy challenges to keep those noise levels up.
There are relentless boos from the home side every time Liverpool are in possession, and huge cheers every time City win it back or Liverpool misplace a pass. The hosts are making this a hostile atmosphere!
Liverpool break through the City lines for the first time as Robertson finds Mane, who in turn slips it to the overlapping Alexander-Arnold. His cross is almost flicked on by Firmino, but ends up hitting Fernandinho and bouncing into the arms of Ederson.
The visitors are just beginning to show signs of settling into this game now. They have got through the opening 10 minutes when both the fans and the Man City players were really trying to put the pressure on them.
The game has been played at a frenetic pace so far, but still no chances - or even shots - for either side as we approach the 15-minute mark.
Good spell of advanced pressure for Liverpool which sees Salah collect the ball just inside the area, but Fernandinho quickly closes down his attempt to turn. Good defending from the Man City midfielder.
For all of the fire and tempo on display so far tonight, there has been a lack of quality considering how good these two teams are. The occasion and the defensive pressure seems to be getting to them.
OFF THE POST! Liverpool are inches away from taking the lead, and quite how they haven't I'm not sure! Salah slides a pass through to Mane, who finds himself with only Ederson to beat. The winger does indeed beat the keeper, but his low finish hits the foot of the post and bounces back into play.
Stones then goes to clear the ball but smashes it straight at Ederson and the ball bounces back towards goal. It is centimetres away from crossing the line, but Stones recovers to hook it clear and it just goes under the foot of Salah on the line too.
They will not get closer than that!
YELLOW CARD! The first card of the game is shown to Lovren as he clatters into Aguero. No complaints there.
The goalline technology has just been shown - it was more like millimeters than centimetres from crossing the line. Unbelievably close to the opening goal - and I haven't even mentioned the quality of the move which unlocked the City defence, including all of Liverpool's front three.
How did it stay out?! Have a look for yourselves...
Liverpool are on top in this match right now, having weathered the early storm. The Man City press has just lost some of its urgency and Jurgen Klopp will be pleased with what he is seeing now.
CHANCE! Man City have their best opening of the match so far as Sterling is released behind the defence for the first time. He cuts back inside Robertson before picking out Silva, but his strike is not convincing and Van Dijk makes the block.
That goal decision review really is a remarkable one. It looks over the line - by a bit of distance - in many of the camera angles, but the official decision was no goal.
YELLOW CARD! Kompany goes into the book for a lunging challenge on Salah. He had to make it, and he got the ball too, but you cannot make those challenges anymore.
Here is that official goalline decision. Doesn't get much closer...
Aguero picks out a clever pass behind the defence for Sane, who pulls the ball back into the area but only finds Van Dijk, who hacks it behind for a corner.
Just 10 minutes left of this first half - the opening 35 minutes have flown by! Liverpool have come the closest, but that is the one really big chance we have seen so far.
Man City are seeing far more of the ball in this match, but Liverpool seem to be happy with this and are posing a greater threat on the counter.
YELLOW CARD! Wijnaldum picks up a fairly harsh yellow card for a trip on Sane, who then went on to clatter into Henderson in a 50-50 challenge.
GOAL! MAN CITY 1-0 LIVERPOOL (SERGIO AGUERO)
GOAL! Man City make the breakthrough, and it is Aguero who lashes his finish into the roof of the net from a tight angle.
The Argentine was appealing for a penalty seconds before, but picked himself up, collected a cross from the left and hammered it past Alisson. Goalkeepers should not usually be beaten at their near post, but there was such power behind that strike that it is hard to blame the Brazilian.
That came out of the blue. It has been such a tight game and so far it has been decided on the finest of margins. Can Liverpool find a way back into this one?
That opener has really boosted the volume levels inside the ground once again. It is a huge goal and the reactions of the City players made it look like they know it.
There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this first half.
YELLOW CARD! Laporte becomes the latest player to have his name taken by the referee for a scything challenge on Milner.
HALF TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 1-0 LIVERPOOL
A frenetic first half comes to an end at the Etihad Stadium, then, and it is Manchester City who take the lead into the halfway stage of this blockbuster showdown.
Both sides have had one big chance each, and the difference between the two sides so far is that Man City have taken theirs whereas Liverpool were 11 millimetres away from doing the same.
The only goal of the game so far, predictably, came from Sergio Aguero, who lashed an incredible finish past Alisson from the tightest angle.
The Argentine got across Dejan Lovren but still had a lot to do as he collected Bernardo Silva's cross. However, he put such power behind his left-footed strike that even Alisson could not keep it out at the near post as it ripped into the roof of the net.
Liverpool could not have come much closer to breaking the deadlock themselves with the score still at 0-0, but somehow the ball stayed out.
A slick team move initially released Mane, who slid his finish past Ederson but saw it come back off the post. Stones then blasted his clearance against Ederson before recovering to hook it off the line, with just 11 millimetres of the ball having not crossed it.
Somehow the clearance also avoided Salah on the line too, and Man City lived to fight another day after the closest of scares.
It is still all to play for in the second half, though, and Liverpool are by no means out of this game just yet.
The Reds enjoyed spells in the ascendency during that opening 45 minutes and will be confident that they have the quality to get themselves level. A huge second half awaits!
KICKOFF: Manchester City get us back underway for the second half!
Sterling does well to spins away from Van Dijk before drawing a foul from Mane, who is tracking back diligently.
In all of the excitement of that first half, I forgot to mention that Aguero has now reached 250 league goals in his career, as well as this particularly impressive stat...
PENALTY APPEAL! Big shouts for a penalty from the Etihad as Sterling and Robertson tangle inside the area, but the cries are coming more from the fans than the players. Six of one, half a dozen of the other there.
SHOT! A poor Liverpool clearance only makes it as far as Fernandinho, who goes for goal but fires well off target.
Brilliant defending from Robertson as he slides in on Sterling and takes all of the ball, halting a City attack and then immediately launching one for Liverpool.
CHANCE! A Robertson cross is only cleared as far as Alexander-Arnold, who goes for goal on the half-volley from just outside the area. It is a decent strike, but he cuts across it just too much and it hits the stanchion behind the goal. Difficult one, but a sight of goal for Liverpool.
LIVERPOOL SUB: Change for the visitors before the hour mark here as Fabinho replaces Milner.
SHOT! Danilo cuts inside from the right flank and is afforded the space to shoot, flashing an effort a couple of yards past the post.
That Liverpool change has seen Mane move over to the right, with Salah through the middle, Firmino in the number 10 role and Wijnaldum on the left of the trio behind Salah. Back to 4-2-3-1 now.
OFF THE LINE! City clear another one off the line as Ederson comes flying out of goal and sees Kompany clear the ball in front of him. It falls to Firmino, who moves into a shooting position but then sees his effort blocked by one of four or five City defenders on the line.
GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 1-1 LIVERPOOL (ROBERTO FIRMINO)
GOAL! Liverpool have the equaliser, and it is a fourth goal in two games for Roberto Firmino!
This one is all about the two full-backs, though, with Alexander-Arnold selling Sane a dummy before floating an inch-perfect cross to the back post with his weaker left foot. Danilo just cannot get his head on it, and Robertson steals in behind to play it back across goal, leaving Firmino with a simple finish from close range.
City go in search of an immediate response as Sterling darts down the right channel before playing the ball in for Aguero, but his first touch inside the area is too heavy this time.
Salah tries to flick the ball cleverly into the path of Mane, but it just has too much on it. This one is so finely poised with just over 20 minutes remaining!
Really good defending from Kompany as he steps in to stop Salah just when it looked as though he had a bit of space to attack.
MAN CITY SUB: Ilkay Gundogan came on for David Silva in the aftermath of that Liverpool goal.
GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 2-1 LIVERPOOL (LEROY SANE)
GOAL! Manchester City regain the lead as Sane picks out the bottom corner with pinpoint accuracy!
Sterling collects the ball on the right and brings it across the field before finding Sane in space, after Aguero had taken Alexander-Arnold away with a good run. From there it is all about the finish as he drills the ball past Alisson and in off the far post.
Those are the fine margins that can have such a difference in a season. Mane's shot at that end of the field hit the post and bounced back out before going within 12 millimetres of crossing the line, whereas Sane's strike goes off the inside of the post and in.
Here is the Roberto Firmino goal which brought Liverpool level, but they need another now! It is the first time they have conceded two goals all season...
LIVERPOOL SUB: Shaqiri made the difference off the bench against Manchester United, and now he needs to do the same against City. He replaces Mane.
SCRAMBLE! Good spell of pressure for Liverpool here as they keep the ball inside the City half and eventually it leads to a scramble, but the hosts just about get it clear.
CHANCE! Big chance for City to kill this game off as they hit Liverpool on the counter, with Sterling releasing Aguero through on goal. The Argentine tries to take the ball around Alisson, but the Liverpool keeper does really well to turn it behind for a corner.
CHANCE! Liverpool spring into life here as they win the ball back inside the City half and the ball is played through to Salah. The Egyptian darts in front of Laporte, but the angle is against him and Ederson is able to turn his shot wide for a corner.
CHANCE! Another chance from the resulting corner as the ball drops to the back post, where Wijnaldum fires it back into the middle. It is once again cleared inside the six-yard box and Van Dijk cannot get a follow-up shot away.
LIVERPOOL SUB: A final throw of the dice for Liverpool as Daniel Sturridge replaces Wijnaldum.
MAN CITY SUB: The hosts also make a change, with Kyle Walker replacing Laporte.
MAN CITY SUB: That is swiftly followed by another defensive change as Nicolas Otamendi replaces Kompany.
YELLOW CARD! Bernardo Silva picks up a yellow card for a high challenge on Fabinho.
CHANCE! Huge chances for City to put this game to bed! Bernardo skips past Lovren but is then denied by Alisson. The ball bounces out into a dangerous area, but Sterling smashes his effort off target when he simply had to score!
There will be FIVE minute of stoppage time at the end of this match!
Liverpool are piling the pressure on now and call for a handball inside the area as it strikes Danilo, but the referee is having none of it.
FULL TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 2-1 LIVERPOOL
The Etihad Stadium erupts as the final whistle goes - they know just how big this result is.
The champions end Liverpool's unbeaten record in the league this season with a 2-1 victory courtesy of goals from Aguero and Sane either side of Roberto Firmino's equaliser. It was a match played at a frenetic pace from start to finish and Liverpool still enjoy a four-point lead at the top of the table, but today is Man City's day as they breathe new life into their hopes of retaining the title.
Right, that is all we have time for this evening!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's blockbuster clash as Manchester City inflict a first league defeat of the season on Liverpool to close the gap at the top of the table to four points. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
