Manager Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City have an excellent opportunity to breathe new life into their Premier League defence when they take on Liverpool at the Etihad on Thursday.
Recent losses against Crystal Palace and Leicester have left City seven points behind the league leaders, but Guardiola insists his focus has not changed.
Pep Guardiola says Manchester City will fight to cut the gap between themselves and leaders Liverpool ahead of Thursday's showdown between the two sides
"I have the feeling it is a big opportunity for us to reduce the gap but our focus is the same," he said. "Everybody asks what we are going to do if we lose but we are going to try to make our game and to win it.
"At the moment Liverpool are the best team in Europe for the way they play and control the details in their game. It's a good challenge for us."
City could be boosted by the return of influential Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who missed their victory over Southampton with a muscle injury, but could make his return against Jurgen Klopp's men.
"He trained today (Wednesday), but tomorrow we need another check in the morning," said Guardiola. "But he is much better."
Meanwhile, ahead of his side's trip to the Etihad, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insisted City remain the best team in the world.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has called on his players to be brave against 'the best team in the world' when they play Manchester City on Thursday night
The Reds go into the meeting with a seven-point lead over their title rivals at the top of the Premier League.
Klopp, though, was keen to push aside the hype, saying he saw it "as a normal game against Manchester City".
He added: "A very difficult one, one of the most difficult games you can play in the modern football world. We felt that plenty of times. It's a really strong football team with an outstanding manager.
"We have to be prepared as good as possible, we have to be brave, we have to be full of desire, angry, like in all the other games. But with the knowledge the opponent is, for me, still the best team in the world. Only the points changed, not the preparation for the game."
Team news
De Bruyne is a doubt after missing Sunday's victory over Southampton with a muscle injury and will have a late fitness test after returning to training.
Kevin De Bruyne could return against Liverpool
Ilkay Gundogan could also return, but Fabian Delph remains suspended and both Benjamin Mendy (knee) and Claudio Bravo (Achilles) are long-term absentees.
For the visitors, James Milner is in contention at the Etihad. A minor muscular injury ruled Milner out of the Boxing Day win over Newcastle, but the midfielder is expected to be available on Thursday.
However, striker Dominic Solanke is struggling with a muscle problem, although he is yet to make a first-team appearance for the leaders this season.
And Sadio Mane is available for selection after the FA confirmed he would not face any action after an alleged altercation with Arsenal defender Stephan Lichtsteiner on Saturday.
Opta stats
Highlights from Manchester City's win over Southampton in the Premier League
Highlights from Liverpool's win over Arsenal in the Premier League
Merson's prediction
This might sound silly, but I'd be shocked if Manchester City won this game. I just can't see how they can stop Liverpool from scoring goals. As the game goes on, I just don't see how Liverpool don't go on to win it.
My only question of Liverpool would be how they play it. Do they go out and think that if they draw they've probably taken Man City out of the equation? Or do they go for the jugular and win the Premier League on Thursday night?
If Liverpool lose the game, it's majorly game on because it's about how they react after, too, and they wouldn't be invincible any more. But I can't see them not getting anything.
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City have won just one of their last 11 meetings with Liverpool in all competitions (D3 L7), although that was a 5-0 thrashing at the Etihad in the Premier League last season
Liverpool have only won one of their last nine league visits to the Etihad Stadium (D3 L5), winning 4-1 in Klopp's first away game against the Citizens after taking over at Anfield. They have conceded 20 goals in those nine away games (2.2 per game)
Guardiola has lost more matches against Klopp (seven) than he has against anyone else in his managerial career, although only two of those defeats have come in home games (P6 W2 D2 L2).
February 2016 was the last time City lost consecutive home Premier League games, losing to Leicester and Spurs; manager Pep Guardiola has never lost consecutive home league games as a manager
Liverpool have won only five of their last 17 matches in all competitions in January (D5 L7), with the Reds losing nine of Klopp's 24 matches during the month (W8 D7)
At the end of the year, Liverpool topped the Premier League table by seven points - no team has ever failed to win the English top-flight title with such a lead coming into the New Year

https://www.skysports.com/football/man-city-vs-liverpool/390963

This type of clash is what we called knack and start.. It gonna be a cracker. Match preview coming soon.

Liverpool have gone from being the hunter to the hunted and when you get in front you have to enjoy it, not be looking over your shoulder.
There are only two players in the current Liverpool team that have won the Premier League - Daniel Sturridge with Chelsea in 2009-10 and James Milner twice with Manchester City - and experience helps in situations like these, but in Jurgen Klopp they have a manager who is a winner and that is where he will take charge.
Players like defender Virgil van Dijk are at that point in their careers where they are taking ownership for what is ahead for them. They are desperate to win major trophies.
'City bounced back but it is out of their hands'
After surprise back-to-back defeats against Crystal Palace and Leicester, it was a timely return to form for Manchester City in Sunday's 3-1 victory at Southampton.
Having the important Fernandinho back in the side after the Brazilian missed those losses is key to them. It felt like City had fallen off a cliff with their form but when you want to reach perfection, that can suddenly happen.
The players have not had to go into the dressing room and run through a defeat for many months and then you have three in four games. It will have hurt them but they have bounced back.
Manager Pep Guardiola spoke about his players
being "heroes" before the game, so he has not fallen out with them and understands they can look back on the year and be pleased and proud of what they have achieved.
Man City chasing best team in Europe - Guardiola
City needed to beat Southampton and they did that. On 37 minutes when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg equalised to make it 1-1 the title race was on a knife edge. If City had lost their third game in a row, it would have needed the same to happen to Liverpool for City to get back into it.
There was a little bit more luck for City against Southampton - you have to be a lucky team to be a winning team. They have been hit by thunderbolt goals scored by Andros Townsend for Palace and Ricardo Pereira for Leicester and have not taken their own chances.
But if they can beat Liverpool at Etihad Stadium on Thursday and let them feel the power and the quality they have, and make them feel second best, that might affect the Merseysiders psychologically in a very big way.
At seven points behind, they are not out of the Premier League title race but they have to win that game.
Why Campbell 'must be falling about with laughter' - Garth's team of the week
'Liverpool have not achieved anything yet'
Liverpool have started the season superbly, winning 17 and drawing three of their opening 20 league games and conceding just eight goals in that run.
The danger for the Reds is that all these pats on the back and the accolades that come with going top of the table can go to your head a little bit. You become unknowingly complacent.
After thrashing Arsenal 5-1, they have to focus their minds on the City clash. They have not got time to get too carried away. Liverpool have not achieved anything yet.
It is about going game to game. I know that sounds boring but that is all you can do, win your battles, the individual duels. The competition from within at Liverpool for starting places is really high. That in itself will concentrate their minds.
Looking at how emphatic Liverpool were against Arsenal on Saturday, it is hard to back against them with the togetherness and belief that was shown by everyone. But we were saying that about City two or three months ago and look what happened then.
I have been in a group at Arsenal when people were saying, 'you are going to win it', but within the group there is not the same certainty and there is a feeling of insecurity.
We have seen that manifest itself with City. As brilliant as their world looked from the outside, it was not quite what we thought, was it? It can be the same for Liverpool and it will be an intriguing second half to the season.
Don't talk about going unbeaten, talk about the title
If Liverpool win or draw against City, it starts to open up for going the full season unbeaten.
Liverpool have not won a title for 29 years, so their priority is not to go the whole term without a loss - they will want to do it though because a defeat may derail their season. They still have Chelsea and Tottenham at home and they are away to Manchester United in February.
In the Arsenal side I played in during the 2003-04 season, we only started talking about going unbeaten once the league was won.
In 2002-03, we started talking about going unbeaten and then did not do it. It seemed to attract a fever from opposition teams to stop us doing it.
It is fine if Dejan Lovren wants to talk about going through the season unbeaten but that is the danger - it is better to talk about winning the Premier League than about going unbeaten for 38 games.
I get the impression that there is a team message at Liverpool and everything is controlled. Full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold spoke to Match of the Day after the win over Arsenal and I might as well have been listening to the manager Klopp.
There is a shared view and that is how professional it is these days. It is almost like propaganda. There is a message to the media and I know Lovren sometimes likes to do his own stuff but I don't think he will make that mistake again. It is best to do your talking on the pitch.
Problems at left-back for City against Liverpool?
For the neutral on Thursday, we need the hosts to win and then it sets us up nicely for the rest of the season.
The game will be fantastic for everyone to watch - City have home advantage, and there are two great managers and two great teams going against each other.
We won't see a boring, tactical affair but I am worried a little bit for City at left-back. There was a pivotal moment against Southampton when Oleksandr Zinchenko lost the ball, allowing the hosts to equalise. He could also have given a penalty away but then produced a brilliant cross for Sergio Aguero's goal.
In typical fashion, Guardiola wants his players to go and play. They have so many options - Aymeric Laporte could go to left back, as could Danilo or even Kyle Walker. We will see what Guardiola does because he knows the squad better than anyone else.
Is Aguero back to the levels of earlier in the season? Can City deal with Liverpool's front three, because there is an awful lot of pace there? I think Liverpool start as favourites.
Martin Keown was speaking to BBC Sport's Shamoon Hafez



https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46717863

Interesting game to watch, See my signature below to stream the match with ease.

crap! 10-point advantage loading!

What are your predictions

Dis match na 2-2 Liverpool with a penalty and salah to score but as a fan I hope we win sha

LIKES for Liverpool to win.

LIKES for Man city to win.

LIKES for Salah.... SHARES for Aguero.

My Prediction Man City 1-3 Liverpool

Cmon redmen let's turn their emptyhad to anfield we can do it

Fate deciding match

On behalf of Liverpool, Chelsea, arsenal, man u, etc fans that don't want man city to boss the epl

I say Liverpool FC to win

Watch it live here


https://sportyowl.com/2019/01/03/live-stream-link-manchester-city-vs-liverpool

I'm with the reds on this one. Wishing them maximum points to further strengthen their grip on the title

Up Man City

May the better team win









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Clash of the Titans..
O ma le gan!

Am a blues...but am with city this night.

Let them slow em down a little they're running too fast

3:2

Go guys!
You can do it.
YNWA!

Welp, me i just need over 9.5 corners!

Liverpool stopped Man City's unbeaten run this time last year; its time for a revenge

2-1 to man city
Doubt me at your own peril
and over 2.5
Straight up!!!

Over 2.5 at HT.

I am their coach

I would havn loved to see liverpool win this game, but for the sake of the league; which i still want to be open....i pray city wins


#IStandWithTheCitizens

Man city all the way this unbeaten run gats stop today

I SOLD MY FATHERS LAND 5 MILLION AND STAKED ALL ON LIVERPOOL CORRECT SCORE 1 2.

IF E NO ENTER MAKE UNA NO CALL ME BUT IF E ENTER MAKE UNA CALL ME MAKE I GO CASH OUT!!!

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