Manchester City vs Liverpool: Kevin De Bruyne on bench for hosts, James Milner and Jordan Henderson start for Reds

Manchester City vs Liverpool: Kevin De Bruyne on bench for hosts, James Milner and Jordan Henderson start for Reds
It’s time for the game of the season in the Premier League so far with Manchester City hosting Liverpool in a hugely important top of the table clash.The Reds head into it knowing that a win at the Etihad Stadium will send them ten points clear of City, and move them nine points ahead of second place Tottenham.Liverpool won three of the four matches played between the two sides last season, but they were thrashed 5-0 at the Etihad in the early stages of 2017/18 with City running riot after Sadio Mane’s sending off.3

This was one of the key talking points from last season’s match

A stalemate was played out when the two teams met earlier this term, but City had a golden chance to win the game from the penalty spot late on; Riyad Mahrez fired over and Liverpool remain undefeated.This is being regarded as a must-win match for Pep Guardiola, and it is sure to be an entertaining clash to round off the festive Premier League fixtures.  

Team news

Kevin De Bruyne is on the bench for City while Aymeric Laporte fills the problematic left-back spot.Laporte moves from central defence in the absence of the suspended Fabian Delph and injured Benjamin Mendy.Captain Vincent Kompany starts while manager Pep Guardiola prefers Danilo at right-back to Kyle Walker.Sergio Aguero leads an attack featuring David Silva, Bernardo Silva, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling.Liverpool have made two changes from the side which thrashed Arsenal 5-1 on Saturday.Fit-again James Milner returns to the team alongside Jordan Henderson, the second change, and Georginio Wijnaldum as manager Jurgen Klopp reverts to 4-3-3. Fabinho and Xherdan Shaqiri drop to the bench.3

Liverpool star James Milner is fit to face Man City

Confirmed teams

Manchester City:Ederson, Danilo, Kompany, Stones, Laporte, Fernandinho, Bernardo Silva, Sterling, David Silva, Sane, Aguero.Subs: Muric, Walker, Gndogan, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Otamendi, Jesus.Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane.Subs: Mignolet, Fabinho, Keita, Moreno, Sturridge, Lallana, Shaqiri.

What the managers are saying

Pep Guardiola (Manchester City): “If we lose, it will be because they’re better and we were poorer than them. But I don’t have the feeling the players don’t have confidence. They know exactly what they have to do.”3

It has been a shaky festive period for Guardiola

Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool): “We have to be prepared as good as possible, we have to be brave, we have to be full of desire, angry, like in all the other games.“But with the knowledge the opponent is, for me, still the best team in the world. Only the points changed, not the preparation for the game.”

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