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)
GOAL! Manchester City 5-0 Liverpool (Sane)
90+1 - What a goal!
Leroy Sane collects the ball from Kyle Walker before whipping the ball past Simon Mignolet and into the far corner from 25 yards.
He's not had the best of starts to the season but two goals off the bench today will do the German's confidence the world of good.
Full-time - Manchester City 5-0 Liverpool
Jon Moss blows the full-time whistle, ending City's fun and Liverpool's misery in the process. With their 5-0 win City go top, one point clear of Manchester United who play Stoke in today's 5.30pm kick-off.
De Bruyne reacts to Mane's red card
"It's not a bad foul but with the way Ederson comes out of it, it's normal for a red card. If he doesn't have that injury, it's normally a yellow."
Sane reacts to his two-goal cameo
"We have a very good team, with top players, young and old. It's very hard to play in the first 11. I wanted to take my chance today and it was a good day for me.
"It was a good (second) goal. Kyle played the ball to me and wanted it back but I decided to shoot."
Klopp: Mane red was wrong
"I don't think it's a red card. He (Mane) didn't see him (Ederson) coming. I saw the goalie already and it's not that bad. It's unlucky, it's an accident. The goalkeeper came out, Sadio wants the ball.
"It's an experience. A very bad one but you have to take what you get to make the best of it.
"Mr Moss was close to sending me to the stands. I don't know what he thought. I only told the fourth official that it wasn't a red card.
"In my opinion it wasn't a red card. Sadio feels really bad and hopefully it's not too serious for the goalie."
Quotes from Sky Sports
Guardiola unsure about Mane dismissal
"It was one game at 11v11, it was equal, we both had chances, but the game was equal. Liverpool are so quick and fast.
"After 10v11 it was a little bit easier for us, and we played the second half the way we wanted to. They didn't do well.
"The game was open until the sending off. Ederson, the doctor says there is nothing broken. He also saved us in the first half from Mohamed Salah.
"Mane didn't see him, he was looking at the ball but the impact was huge. I don't know if it was a red card. I didn't speak about the decision when we had Kyle Walker sent off against Everton so I will not now."
Quotes from Sky Sports
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