Liverpool v Man City
Venue: Anfield Date: Sunday, 22 February Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Steven Gerrard has been ruled out of Liverpool's clash with Manchester City on Sunday with a hamstring injury.
Liverpool, who are also without the suspended Xabi Alonso, had hoped that Gerrard would be fit enough for a place on the bench.
Manchester City defender Richard Dunne is available after serving a ban.
Nedum Onuoha and Vincent Kompany both impressed in Dunne's absence but one will have to make way. Gelson Fernandes remains out with a hamstring problem.
Liverpool fear Gerrard may also miss Wednesday's Champions League game with Real Madrid.
"We don't know if he'll be back for the game in midweek," said manager Rafael Benitez. "But he will not be involved against City."
Gerrard was forced off after 16 minutes during Liverpool's FA Cup fourth repay defeat at Everton on 4 February and Benitez is keen to make sure his captain is fully fit rather than risking further injury.
"He is improving but we cannot take any risks so he won't be in the squad," added the Spaniard.
Liverpool (from): Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Skrtel, Agger, Aurelio, Dossena, Babel, Benayoun, Mascherano, Lucas, Riera, Torres, Kuyt, Ngog, Cavalieri, Spearing, El Zhar.
Man City (from): Given, Hart, Schmeichel, Richards, Onuoha, Dunne, Kompany, Bridge, Garrido, Zabaleta, Elano, Caicedo, Ireland, Robinho, Bellamy, Vassell, Weiss, Logan, Evans, Berti.
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes:
"If you give us room we are a team that has goals in us, but if teams sit back and frustrate us we don't seem to deal with that as well.
"Liverpool are going for their own competitions and their own challenges.
"They will want to win the game and put the onus on attacking. Hopefully that will leave the door open for us to exploit the spaces."
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BIG-MATCH FACTS
Liverpool take on City, eager for the victory which would see them stay in touch with leaders Manchester United in their quest to prevent the defending Premier League champions from equalling their record of 18 English top flight titles.
Manchester City travel to Anfield in search of a 1,200th victory in top-flight football.
The Reds are unbeaten in 14 Premier League matches and are yet to lose at home in any competition this season; City have only won one away league game all season, and have lost the last two on the road.
Liverpool are unbeaten in seven Premier League matches against Manchester City, and vying for a third successive victory.
Distance between the clubs: 36 miles (59 kilometres)
CLUB FORM
LIVERPOOL
Club stats
Going into this round of matches: 2nd 54 points
Best & Worst categories in 2008-09 Premier League
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premier League fixtures)
1. Won seven and drawn seven of 14 Premier League matches, since losing 2-1, away to Tottenham on 1 November, their only defeat in 32 league games.
2. The current total of 54 points after 25 games is 10 points up on last season, and their best-ever corresponding accumulation in a Premier League season. It is their most fruitful return for 18 seasons, since the 1990-91 campaign when they were runners-up.
3. Third in the Premier League's "Last Six Current Form" table with 12 points out of 18, trailing Manchester United (18) and Aston Villa (16).
4. Drawn all five league matches in which they have failed to score.
5. Won six and drawn six of their 12 fixtures against clubs currently in the top half.
6. Undefeated in 23 home league games. Won 16 and drawn seven since Manchester United's 0-1 triumph at Anfield on 16 December 2007 - their only defeat in 35 league games on home turf.
7. Won seven and drawn two of their nine North-West league derbies this season, and not lost in 12. Won the 10 regional derbies after a 3-0 defeat away to Manchester United on 23 March 2008, and drawn the most recent two.
8. A trip to Spain to face Real Madrid in the Champions League follows this on Wednesday.
Fixtures
MANCHESTER CITY
Club stats
Going into this round of matches: 9th 31 points
Best & Worst categories in 2008-09 Premier League
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premier League fixtures)
1. Won four of seven Premier League games, lost two of the last three.
2. 10 points down on this same stage last season, when in the top seven.
3. Won all seven league games in which clean sheets have been kept, and lost all six matches in which they've failed to score.
4. Without a victory in 10 Premier League games on the road, drawn four and lost six since defeating Sunderland 0-3 at the Stadium of Light on 31 August, their only away league win of the season.
5. Lost eight of the last 11 against 'Big Four' clubs, their only successes being victories at Manchester United on 10 February and home to Arsenal on 22 November last year.
6. Picked up one victory from the last 12 North-West league derbies, 1-0, home to Wigan on 17 January.
7. Not won in the North-West, away from Eastlands, since the trip to Old Trafford on 10 February last year.
8. The home leg of their Uefa Cup last 32 tie with FC Copenhagen follows this, on Thursday. The sides drew 2-2 in Denmark in the first leg.
Fixtures
KEY PLAYER NOTES
LIVERPOOL
Squad profiles
Jose REINA and Jamie CARRAGHER are the only remaining players to have been on the field for every minute of every one of Liverpool's Premier League matches this season.
Steven GERRARD is the club's top Premier League scorer with nine goals.
Fernando TORRES, who has scored three goals in his last two Premier League appearances for Liverpool, has also netted three in three against Manchester City.
If selected:-
Fabiano AURELIO will be making his 50th Premier League appearance - all for Liverpool.
If on the field from the outset:-
Albert RIENA was on loan to Manchester City from Espanyol for five months from the beginning of 2006.
Suspended:-
Xabi ALONSO (one match)
MANCHESTER CITY
Squad profiles
ROBINHO is the club's top Premier League scorer with 11 goals.
Shaun WRIGHT-PHILLIPS is a hat-trick shy of 50 club career goals for Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Chelsea.
HEAD TO HEAD
Liverpool are bidding for a sixth successive home league win over Manchester City.
City have recorded only one Premier League victory over Liverpool at Anfield from their 11 visits. Nicolas Anelka scored both goals, one from the spot, in a 2-1 triumph on 3 May 2003.
City's most recent victory over the Reds was 1-0 at the City of Manchester Stadium on 9 April 2005 when Kiki Musampa scored the winner in stoppage time.
Manchester City inflicted on Liverpool a club record home league defeat, when beating them 6-1 on Merseyside on 26 October 1929.
Liverpool's 3-2 victory at the City of Manchester Stadium in October gives them the chance of wrapping up a second double over City in four seasons.
The six meetings prior to the five-goal clash four months ago, included two goalless draws, and four 1-0s.
Home and away
League (inc PL): Liverpool 74 wins, Man City 37, Draws 34
Prem: Liverpool 12 wins, Man City 3, Draws 8
at Liverpool only
League (inc PL): Liverpool 45 wins, Man City 13, Draws 14
Prem: Liverpool 9 wins, Man City 1, Draws 1
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
4 May 2008 - Ref: Mark Halsey
Liverpool scorer: Torres 58
THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE
Manchester City 2-3 Liverpool
5 October 2008 - Ref: Peter Walton
Man City scorers: Ireland 19, Garrido 41
Liverpool scorers: Torres 55, 73, Kuyt 90
Sent Off: Zabaleta (Man City) 67
REFEREE
Phil Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire)
