Manchester City vs Liverpool 

The final day of the festive fixtures could not have a better ending, as Manchester City welcome league leaders Liverpool to the Etihad, with the Citizens attempting to cut into the Reds lead atop the Premier League table. 

Match Day 21 has already been a successful period for Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United, who all collected a valuable 3 points, with each keeping pace in the race for a top four finish. 

Chelsea were the big losers of round, after failing to separate from bottom of the table side Southampton with a 0-0 final result, the Blues are now only 3 points adrift their closest competition for their 4th place position.

Manchester City vs Liverpool 
Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England 
1-3-2019 - 3:00 pm ET - NBC-SN 

The second meeting of the season between these two English giants should be an instant classic, after a rare 0-0 draw while at Anfield, these two Premier League powers should provide a better showing in the chase for league supremacy.

Manchester City got back to their winning ways over the weekend. After losing two straight matches for the first time since 2016, the Citizens picked up a much needed victory against Southampton while on the south coast. 

Pep Guardiola has endured a trying time in defense of the EPL title. The Spaniard swept through last season at a record setting pace, now a full 7 points behind Liverpool in the standings, Guardiola is facing an uphill challenge to lead his team to another championship in as many years.

City's Front-Line Trio

Guardiola has preferred his own version of a 4-3-3 formation, using Sergio Auguerro, Raheem Sterling and Le Roy Sane to carry out his specific instructions. This combination of wingers and center-forward have combined for 25 goals during domestic competitions, with pace down the flanks and dead-eye accuracy in front of goal, this trio must carry a huge load for the Citizens to be successful on Thursday night. 

De Bruyne's Injury Status

The Manchester City creative midfielder has fought the injury bug for much of the new season, after going down in training before the campaign ever started, the Belgium international has only made 6 appearances domestically, with his last being in Boxing Day against Leicester City. Guardiola still has optimism his star-man can make the starting eleven, after training over the past few days he will be a game time decision for the Citizens.

Pep was delighted to get Fernandinho back in the mix after his short stint on the sidelines as well. The Brazilian made an appearance last week at Southampton after being a large miss over the past few weeks, the Citizens so happened to go through their worst slide in over two years with the defensive midfielder off the pitch, losing to both Crystal Palace and Leicester City while conceding 5 goals over that forgettable span. Fernandinho brings a certain toughness and stability to the Citizens back-line, while also using his instinctual passing abilities to set City's high octane attack into motion, where he turns into a true two-way player for the defending champs.

Manchester City have been a true force while on their own pitch, scoring 35 goals over the first 10 home matches of the season, for an average of 3.5 per contest while at the Etihad Stadium.
The Citizens currently sit 3rd in the EPL table, with a record of 15-2-3 and a total of 47 points. Pep's men are in a must win situation, as they cannot afford to drop points against this Liverpool side, who could potentially take a commanding 10 point lead with less than a half to season to go in the chase for league supremacy.

Liverpool arrived in Manchester on cloud nine, winning 9 straight matches which included a 5-1 rout of fellow 'Big Six' side Arsenal over the weekend. The Reds are now in a powerful position to win their first league title since 1990 and their first ever Premier League championship since its inception in 1992.

Jurgen Klopp continues to get the best out of his squad on a weekly basis, collecting the third highest amount of points over the first 20 matches with 54 in the EPL era. Klopp will now look to lead his side into their biggest match of the domestic campaign, understanding that all three points against the defending champs would be invaluable, I expect the German to have his team ready to put on a prime-time performance.

The Reds Main Figures

The visitors dynamic front-line are always the main topic of conversation when you speak about the Reds title hopes. Liverpool give their opponents restless nights when having to game-plan for the contributions of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, who truly makes this unit run at maximum performance. The trio are always looking to set the break into motion were they simply overwhelm defenders in the final third of the pitch, with a mix of speed, strength and accuracy they have produced 28 goals and 11 assists during the first half of the season.

Klopp's Lineup Dilemma

The German task-master finds himself in a real quandary with the emergence of Xherdan Shaqiri. Klopp has had to shift formations from his standard 4-3-3 alignment into a 4-2-3-1, to incorporate the services of Shaqiri who has been a true spark plug when given the opportunity to shine. With 6 goals and 2 assists in just 9 appearances, the Swiss international brings another threat on the attacking side of the pitch.

Virgil van Dijk may be the most important man for the league leaders during Thursday's affair. The Dutch center-back has been an irreplaceable piece since making the move to Merseyside during last season's Winter transfer window. Now with the defending champions desperate to climb the top flight table, the Liverpool defender will be asked to help limit the powerful attack that Man City are certain to throw their way.

Liverpool have been on a true scoring binge as of late, placing a minimum of 3 goals in the back of the net in 5 of their last 6 matches.

The Reds have also had a large amount of success against Man City over the years, failing to taste defeat in 11 of their last 12 meetings, giving them plenty of confidence as the opening whistle arrives.

Manchester City vs Liverpool - Match Prediction

The battle of the defending champs and the current league leaders should not disappoint. With so much star power through each 18 man squad, the opportunity to see world-class football will be at an all-time level while in Manchester.

Manchester City have perplexed many with their inconsistent results during the new campaign. After running away with the title last season, the Citizens have failed to live up to their lofty expectations during the new campaign.

City have been impressive while playing in front of their loyal supporters, going 9-0-1 while outscoring their opponents 35-9 over that stretch of play.

Guardiola will be inspired to get a positive result against this Liverpool side, as the Spaniard has struggled against Klopp-led teams during their times matched up together. Pep seemed to have found a solution to Liverpool's juggernaut attack while at Anfield earlier in the campaign, keeping the Reds off the score-line while creating the best chances to grab a victory in their 0-0 stale-mate. 

The Citizens have been at their best when their wingers have a large influence on the match, while their midfielders use precise passing to setup their skilled danger-men to succeed in front of goal. The home side are creating chances at an epic level, with an average of 21.9 while on their own soil, they must use their ultra-talented players to keep Liverpool on their heels, while taking advantage of their chances they will certainly produce.

Liverpool have been just as dominant during their travels this season, with a record of 8-2-0 the Reds are averaging 2.1 goals per match away from the friendly confines of Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp has pushed all the right buttons on per match basis, now with arguably the biggest match of the current campaign on the docket, we should see the German at his absolute best during this classic English fixture.

Liverpool are well equipped to soak up pressure and spring the counter attack where they are most comfortable, the Reds have had success in pressing this Man City side and creating turnovers for quick striking offensive attacks where they are simply ruthless.

Expect a more wide open affair on Thursday night. After playing to a 0-0 result earlier in the season, I project both teams finding the back of the net, while placing multiple goals on the final scoreline in this must see event.

Manchester City vs Liverpool - Betting Tips 

Over 1.25  +100 / 2.0 - Total 1st Half Goals
Liverpool - Team Total Over 1  -140 / 1.71 - Goal  
Both Teams To Score and Over 2.5 Goals  -110 / 1.91 

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Charles Meshell (ROI Capper) will now be a regular contributor at One Stop Sports Spot, providing regular free picks and detailed information on specific matches throughout the soccer world.  Sign up for the new Podcast at OneStopSportsSpot.com to become a valued follower.

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