Man City 6/10
Draw 3/1
Liverpool 4/1
Title-chasing Manchester City will play host to Liverpool on Saturday night at the Etihad Stadium. The Sky Blues will be hoping to return to winning ways after drawing goalless with Aston Villa, while the 
Reds will look to recover from their 2-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace before the international break. City are unbeaten in their last three home meetings with Liverpool having won two on the bounce and Jurgen Klopp will hope he can put a stop to that.
Manchester City
Manchester City’s goalless draw against Aston Villa could prove to be a costly result in the Premier League title race. City dropped points for the fourth time this season after failing to crack a stubborn Villa defence marshalled by former centre-back Micah Richards, whose side held on for their first point under new manager Remi Garde. Manuel Pellegrini will demand a better performance from his players and will be hoping for maximum points against the Reds. With Arsenal mounting a genuine push for the league title and Manchester United still in the mix, City cannot afford anymore slip-ups. The league leaders will welcome the return to the Etihad Stadium where they’ve won their last three games against Newcastle, Bournemouth and Norwich. Pellegrini will be hoping to recall the influential duo of Sergio Aguero and David Silva for this clash. Aguero suffered a hamstring injury in October on international duty with Argentina, while leading assist man David Silva, has also been out of duty with the Citizens after he was also injured representing Spain in October. Both Aguero and Silva are recovering well and if they are fit, it will be a massive boost for City. Pellegrini will be sweating on the fitness of club captain Vincent Kompany after the defender was ruled out of Belgium’s friendly matches due to a calf problem. Summer signing Nicolas Otamendi will face new pressure to step up to the plate should Kompany be absent, while Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis could be given more responsibilities to plug the gaps in central defence. Kevin De Bruyne has been in top form for Manchester City this season. The Belgian has three goals and four assists from seven starts and he will be a constant threat against the Reds. Raheem Sterling will come up against his former team for the first time since his £49m switch from Anfield. Sterling has scored four goals already this season and he’ll be looking to put the Reds to the sword.
Liverpool
More than a week has passed since Liverpool’s disappointing 2-1 loss at the hands of Crystal Palace at Anfield. The Reds’ first fixture back after the international break couldn’t be tougher: a trip to the Etihad. Liverpool haven’t won a Premier League game away at Manchester City since October 2008, although, the Reds did emerge victorious when the two sides last met at Anfield in March. Klopp will be wary of the threat Manchester City pose but will be confident his side can come away with a positive result. Liverpool, currently 10th in the Premier League, have picked up pace since Klopp has taken over as manager of the club. In all competitions, Klopp has led Liverpool to three wins, three draws, and one defeat in seven matches. Their biggest win was a 3-1 victory against league champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Midfielder Philippe Coutinho and forward Christian Benteke have been two shining stars for the Reds this season. Coutinho, has smashed in four goals and chipped in with two assists in 11 league appearances. His creativity, skill, and vision are huge assets, and when the Brazlian is on form, he’s almost unplayable. Benteke, also has four goals in league play this season, while only appearing in nine games in the Premier League. Since Klopp’s arrival at Anfield, Lucas has been arguably the most consistent performer in a red shirt and is now one of the first names on the team sheet. James Milner will be hoping to recover in time to face his old club this weekend. The England international picked up a hamstring injury against Rubin Kazan in the Europa League. Milner provides assurance across midfield with relentless running that embodies Klopp’s style – he would be a huge blow for the Reds. Defender Mamadou Sakho has been ruled out for eight weeks with knee ligament damage and his absence will hand the much-maligned Dejan Lovren the opportunity to claim a regular role in Klopp’s team.
Probable line-ups:
Manchester City: 4-2-3-1
Hart; Zabaleta, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Toure; Navas, Silva, De Bruyne; Bony
Liverpool: 4-3-3
Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Skrtel, Moreno; Lucas, Can, Lallana; Ibe, Coutinho, Benteke.
Prediction: Manchester City
Manchester City have won their last three home games while Liverpool’s victory at Chelsea was only their first away win of the season. The Sky Blues have won their last two home clashes with the Reds and after dropping points against Aston Villa, City will be going all out to claim maximum points. Liverpool showed their defensive frailties when they lost 2-1 at home to Crystal Palace and with Lovren returning to the side, things are only going to get worse. The home win looks a solid bet at 6/10, but if you looking for more value then take the Citizens to Score In Both Halves at 14/10.
Chadley Nagel
