17:30 GMT / 18:30 CET | Manchester City v Liverpool [Premier League]

Match preview

The Barclays Premier League's two most potent attacks go head-to-head when Manchester City host Liverpool on Boxing Day.

Third-placed City have hit an incredible 51 goals in their 17 top-flight fixtures this term - nine more than table-toppers Liverpool have managed in the same number of games.

Manuel Pellegrini's side have been particularly prolific at the Etihad Stadium, scoring 35 while conceding just five to take maximum points from their seven matches on home turf this season. They have lost just two of their last 56 Premier League games at home, and beat Arsenal - who sit joint top with Liverpool after their 0-0 draw with Chelsea on Monday - 6-3 in their last outing at the Etihad.
City followed that win up with a 4-2 victory at Fulham last Saturday, but free-scoring Liverpool will take heart from the fact Pellegrini's team have conceded nine goals in their last four Premier League matches.

Brendan Rodgers' men have responded brilliantly to their 3-1 reverse at Hull City on December 1, winning four games in a row and scoring 17 goals in the process. Luis Suarez's scintillating form has been the driving force behind Liverpool's run, with the Uruguayan notching 10 goals since the loss at the KC Stadium to take his Barclays Premier League tally to 19 in only 12 appearances this season.

That total puts Suarez six goals clear of City's Argentine striker Sergio Aguero in the race for the golden boot, and he has the opportunity to extend that lead further on Thursday as his South American counterpart is sidelined with a calf problem.

Aguero's compatriot Pablo Zabaleta could also be missing after suffering a hamstring injury in last week's League Cup win over Leicester City, while Micah Richards (hamstring), Matija Nastasic (calf) and Stevan Jovetic (knock) are also doubtful.

However, Liverpool have a mounting injury list of their own, albeit one with which Rodgers believes his squad can cope. Steven Gerrard, Daniel Sturridge, Jose Enrique and Sebastian Coates are all currently on the sidelines, while full-back Jon Flanagan has emerged as a doubt to face Manchester City.

"We have a few injuries at this moment, which is unfortunate for us in this busy period," said Rodgers. "We just have to assess Jon Flanagan. He came off late in the game against Cardiff (on Saturday) with a tight hamstring, which he had for a few days (before).

"He was fit enough to start and play, but felt it a little bit in the game so had to take him off. We just need to assess how that is over the next 24 hours. At the moment none of the guys who have been out have returned so we're quite thin on the ground.

"These games are opportunities for us. We're not going to cry about it. We have what we have, the players have been absolutely brilliant and we know we have got a busy schedule now. It's an opportunity for me to bring in some youth-team players and reserve-team players into the squad. That's why you have an academy."

Manchester City (from): Hart, Pantilimon, Wright, Boyata, Clichy, Demichelis, Kolarov, Kompany, Lescott, Nastasic, Richards, Zabaleta, Garcia, Fernandinho, Milner, Nasri, Navas, Rodwell, Silva, Toure, Dzeko, Guidetti, Jovetic, Negredo, Nimely.

Liverpool (from): Jones, Mignolet, Agger, Cissokho, Flanagan, Ilori, Johnson, Kelly, Sakho, Skrtel, Toure, Wisdom, Alberto, Allen, Henderson, Ibe, Lucas, Aspas, Coutinho, Moses, Sterling, Suarez.

Match Appointments
Referee: Lee Mason. Assistants: J Brooks, D Eaton. Fourth Official: N Swarbrick.

Attached Images

• 200px-Manchester_City.svg.jpg (12.5 KB)
• 180px-Liverpool_FC.svg.jpg (11.8 KB)