Manchester City vs Liverpool - as it happened: Pep Guardiola's men run riot against 10-man Reds
Re-live all the action from the Etihad Stadium
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester City and Liverpool have enjoyed good starts to the season, with two wins and a draw each from their opening three fixtures. But with City’s vast expenditure this summer, Pep Guardiola will be expecting nothing less than victory (three full-backs for a combined £130m demands as much).
The Catalan knows that this is the season for silverware, after a year in which he often struggled to master English football’s physicality. There can be no room for excuses, and there are no good reasons why City should not expect, let alone hope, to win the title.
Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp are fiercely competitive characters, even by the standards of Premier League managers, and will set up their sides to attack and dominate the other as much as possible.
It promises to be an engrossing encounter.
See who comes out on top by following all the live action below:
Here's everything you need to know about the match.
What time does it start?
Manchester City vs Liverpool kicks off at 12:30 BST on Saturday 9th September.
Where can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League from 12:30 BST. Highlights will be shown at 22:30 BST on BBC One.
It’s a big game for…
Roberto Firmino: Liverpool have been boosted by the news that influential Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is unlikely to recover from injury in time to feature in this match.
All eyes will therefore be on Liverpool's leading man Firmino, who will fancy his chances against City's patched-up defence. Expect goals.
Best stat…
3: The number of years since Man City last beat Liverpool in the Premier League. Their last was a 3-1 win at the Etihad on August 25th 2014.
Remember when…
Willy Caballero’s penalty-saving heroics against Jurgen Klopp’s men clinched the League Cup for City in 2016.
Player to watch…
Kevin De Bruyne: The 26-year-old Belgian has started the season in dazzling form, occupying a new role deeper in midfield.
A wide range of passing is not the first skill associated with De Bruyne, but it is one he has exhibited abundantly this term. His versatility will be tested, though, against an in-form Liverpool.
Past three meetings…
Manchester City 1 (Aguero) Liverpool 1 (Milner), Premier League, March 2017
Liverpool 1 (Wijnaldum) Manchester City 0, Premier League, December 2016
Liverpool 3 (Lallana, Milner, Firmino) Manchester City 0, Premier League, March 2016
Form guide…
Manchester City: WDLWWW
Liverpool: WWWWDW
Odds…
Manchester City to win: 17/20
Liverpool to win: 16/5
Draw: 14/5
(Odds provided by 888 Sport)
13' - Sergio Aguero lays the ball off to Fernandinho, who finds himself in space around 25 yards from the Liverpool goal. The Brazilian takes aim but his low shot is turned around the post by Simon Mignolet.
14' - Alberto Moreno finds Sadio Mane with a good ball down the left wing. The Senegalese squares Kyle Walker up before attempting to cut the ball back to Roberto Firmino but his pass is intercepted.
Just moments later Jordan Henderson finds Firmino in the box with a delicious cross but the Brazilian can't convert.
18' - Emre Can lines up a strike from 30 yards but slips just as he is about to strike the ball and his effort trundles harmlessly into the arms of Ederson.
20' - Trent Alexander-Arnold goes into the book for a foul on Kevin De Bruyne just outside Liverpool's penalty area.
The young full-back has started his senior career promisingly but he's struggled so far today.
22' - Mo Salah skips past Nicolas Otamendi down the right wing and bears down on the City goal. The Egyptian then tries to find Roberto Firmino in the box but his cross is poor and Ederson collects the ball with ease.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Liverpool (Aguero)
25' - Sergio Aguero gives City the lead against the run of play.
It's Kevin De Bruyne who finds the Argentine with a pinpoint through ball and he rounds Simon Mignolet before slotting the ball into an empty net.
27' - Roberto Firmino finds Mo Salah in a tight space in the City penalty area but the Egyptian's low cross towards Sadio Mane is cut out by Ederson.
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