Liverpool Vs Manchester City: Match Preview

Premier League Form Liverpool: WLLWLD City: WDDDDD
Odds Liverpool: Evens Draw: 9/4 City: 12/5
Last Meeting: Liverpool 1 – 1 City 22/02/08

The international jet-setters rendezvous in Merseyside midday Saturday as the blue half of Manchester take on the red half of Liverpool in what might have once been billed as The Match For Fourth. Players return from as far as Qatar, UAE and even, in two special cases, Granada Studios for Saturday’s early kick off, eager to put their clubs recent poor form behind them.

City and Liverpool currently lie 6th and 7th respectively in the league with a point and a game the thin difference between them. Despite both being only a result away from 4th placed Tottenham, City and Liverpool’s form has been a cause for concern for their fans; Liverpool have just one league win in five whereas City have drawn the last five. Hardly Champions League form from either side. However fans may take solace in the knowledge that in a recent poll by the official Premier League site both clubs are ahead of the competition to snatch fourth according to the voting public.

The voice of the fans (not included: Portsmouth)

Last Time Out

Once the disappointment of conceding a 86th minute equaliser to a team we, on paper, should have comfortably beat and the reality of drawing for the fifth consecutive league game faded, a much more pressing issue found its way into to minds of the City faithful. Just why was a back four which cost over £55 million to assemble so useless? And why, at a rate of 1.27 goals per game, are we on target to concede more goals than the 2006/2007 season defence which took just £7 million to build? Whatever your opinions on the development of the current regime, phrases like “Time to gel” and “Addressing the problem” will only stick for so long. Elsewhere City showed good fighting spirit to take a 3-2 lead, but that was quickly forgotten as the game’s final goal went in.

There was only one talking point from Liverpool’s game against Birmingham and, unfortunately for Cameron Jerome it wasn’t his magnificently hit 30 yard strike. David N’gog is the most recent diver to fan the flames of ‘cheating’ debates nationwide after he hurled himself down in the Birmingham penalty box buying Liverpool a penalty and, consequently, a point. The controversial incident averted attention from the fact that this was a poor result for Liverpool, despite a decent performance. “I was talking to him (N’Gog) and he said maybe it wasn’t a penalty” admitted under pressure boss Rafa Benitez after the game. For those of us blessed with the gift of sight there was no “maybe” about it.

Team News

Gerrard Packs a punch

Torres and Benayoun, arguably Liverpool’s two best players this season, are out. However Stephen Gerrard who played against Birmingham last week and was then deemed not fit enough to play for England, miraculously appears to be fit again for his club this week. There’s no denying that Gerrard has the ability to change a game in Liverpool’s favour, but there remains a question over his level of fitness after a short spell off. With Philipp Degen still suspended and Aurelio and Glen Johnson nursing injuries, Liverpool could be stretched in denfence, especially on the right.

Lescott A £20m man?

Martin Petrov, unsurprisingly, is the sole casualty to return to Eastlands after the international break. Want-away/ non what-away Robinho isn’t expected to start yet but may make the bench (if it’s good enough for Brazil…) It will be interesting to see if Mark Hughes makes any changes to the back four after a woeful display against Burnley, but chances are it will remain the same. A likelier change would see midfield enforcer Nigel DeJong returning to the starting eleven with one of the more attacking minded players sacrificed.

Further Debate

There are two City issues that are possible deciders for this match. The first, and it’s a popular one, is should City’s back four be changed from the one that was (found) out against Burnley? The second question regards Gareth Barry. Barry’s two worst games this season have, argueably, come away from home against Aston Villa & Birmingham. In both of these matches a few people agreed that the booing and general disdain from the home supporters got to him. And whilst Barry has done nothing in particular to upset the Liverpool fans there could well be animosity aimed for a man who very nearly joined Anfield. Will this have an effect on him?

Look Mum’s Prediction

Both teams giving their all for the cause. City’s wealth of strikers, Liverpool’s returning captain. Two suspect defences. One outcome. 0-0.

A massive thanks to LookMumI’mOnMCF.net for this excellent match preview, you can discuss this point and more on our forum, www.mancityfans.net.