Preview - Liverpool vs Manchester City 08 October 18

[Harry85]

Match Day 8
Liverpool vs Manchester City
Monday, October 8th, 2018
00:30am (GMT+8 Timing)
Stadium: Anfield

Liverpool:   
Last five matches form:  W W W W D
Average goals per match: 2.14
Average goals against per match: 0.43
Top Scorer: Sadio Mané (4)

Manchester City:
Last five matches form: D W W W W
Average goals per match: 3.00
Average goals against per match: 0.43
Top Scorer: Sergio Agüero (5)

The best is very much saved until last on Match Day 8 in the Premier League, as we have one of then biggest games of the season taking place at Anfield. Title hopefuls Liverpool are the hosts as defending champions Manchester City come to town.

Manchester City stuffed Liverpool 5-0 at the Etihad at the start of last season, but by the end of the season Liverpool had beaten Pep Guardiola's men three times; twice in the Champions League and here at Anfield in the Premier League when coming out on top 4-3.

Both sides have begun the season in fine form. Manchester City winning six of seven, with the only blip coming when being held to a draw at Wolves. Liverpool likewise are six from seven with their only dropped points coming when drawing away at Chelsea last weekend.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remains out for the home side for whom Adam Lallana and Naby Keita are also rated as a doubt. Kevin De Bruyne, Eliaquim Mangala, Claudio Bravo and Fabian Delph are out for the visitors.

Liverpool haven't quite looked the irresistible attacking force we have come to expect of late, including when failing to register a single shot on target against Napoli in the Champions League in midweek. City look the more reliable to get more than one goal, which will likely be needed to come out on top here having averaged and impressive three per game in the league this season. We will take the visitors to come out on top in what may be a thriller.


Prediction: Liverpool 2 - 3 Manchester City

[Harry85]

Half time: 0 - 0
Full time: 0 - 0
Shots:  6 - 4
Shots on target: 3 - 2
Corner Kicks: 2 - 6
Possession: 52% - 48%

Bernardo Silva, Sergio Aguero and Benjamin Mendy were all booked for the away side with referee Martin Atkinson also taking the name of Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum.

Not quite the seven-goal thriller we witnessed at Anfield last season as defences came out on top and two of the frontrunners for the Premier League title largely cancelled each other out at Anfield.

This was a game of very few clear-cut chances in all honesty and in the end the draw probably was the right result despite the dramatic circumstances towards the end of the game.

The real big moment of the game came in the 86th minute. Leroy Sané bursting into the area on the left-hand side and the otherwise excellent Virgil Van Dijk lunging in with an ill advised challenge just as the ball appeared to be running out of play. Down went Sané and Martin Atkinson had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

With Sergio Aguero having been taken off, there appeared to be some debate about who should take this, with the responsibility in the end being taken by Riyad Mahrez. He and all City fans no doubt wish someone else had taken it now as his effort finished up closer to the top tier than the back of the net.

A golden opportunity missed for City to record their first win at Anfield in 15 years. They still sit top of the league on goal difference though, with themselves, Liverpool and Chelsea all still unbeaten and all on twenty points headed into the international break. Considering they lost to Liverpool three times last season, City should probably take this result as a positive overall.