Man City (from): Schmeichel, Nash, Flowers, Sun, Howey, Distin, Bischoff, Wright-Phillips, Tiatto, Foe, Horlock, Jensen, Kerkar, Berkovic, Huckerby, Shuker, Anelka, Goater, Vuoso.
Dietmar Hamann is expected to return for Liverpool but Vladimir Smicer, Gregory Vignal, and Vegard Heggem are out.
Liverpool (from): Dudek, Carragher, Hyypia, Henchoz, Riise, Murphy, Gerrard, Hamann, Cheyrou, Heskey, Owen, Baros, Diouf, Diao, Babbel, Kirkland, Biscan, Traore, Berger.
MOST SIGNIFICANT STATS
Liverpool take their unbeaten Premiership record to a Manchester City side, who are yet to lose at home.
Top spot in the Premiership table could be the prize for Gerard Houllier's men if all three points are claimed here, and Leeds stop Arsenal's amazing advance at Elland Road.
The Merseysiders will want to atone for a disappointing display in Europe on Wednesday. Michael Owen again lacked sharpness and was replaced as the Reds drew 1-1 with Basle in the Champions League in their 100th European game at Anfield, when their players were booed off the field. Now they prepare to face Spartak Moscow knowing a win is essential.
Liverpool are unbeaten in nine Premiership matches - their longest sequence since the 14 amassed between 13 January and 20 April last season.
But Liverpool's defensive record is somewhat uncharacteristicy, with only one clean sheet from their last seven Premiership and Champions League matches.
City saw an end to their 12 match winning home League run, when held to a 2-2 draw by Blackburn in their last Maine Road encounter.
The Manchester club have subsequently been held to a goalless draw at West Ham, so Kevin Keegan goes into his 60th game in charge hoping the side avoid a third successive draw, with a third win of the season which would mean City had completed exactly a year without a home League loss.
This is Liverpool's 400th Premiership match. So far they have won 193, drawn 103 and lost 103.
A first ever Maine Road Premiership win for the Merseysiders would mean they had racked up their best first-eight-games Premiership points tally for six years.
Liverpool have won exactly half of the 132 League matches against Manchester City.
City are four goals from conceding 300 in their all-time Premiership history.
| HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS |
| All | Man C | Lvrpl | Draws |
| Total meetings | 142 | 38 | 70 | 34 |
| Premiership | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| League | 132 | 35 | 66 | 31 |
* includes all games from the Premiership, Football League, FA Cup, League Cup and major European competitions
+ denotes Premiership and Football League
| LIVERPOOL AT MANCHESTER CITY |
| Total | Won | Lost | Drawn |
| League+ | 66 | 26 | 23 | 17 |
| Premiership | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
+ denotes Premiership and Football League
HEAD TO HEAD NOTES
Half of the 10 Premiership matches between these clubs have been drawn, including the last two corresponding fixtures (2-2 and most recently 1-1).
Liverpool have never beaten City in the Premiership at Maine Road.
City have recorded just one home Premier League maximum over the Reds. That was 2-1 on 14 April, 1995 when Nicky Summerbee and Maurizio Gaudino were on target.
Liverpool's last League win at Maine Road was 0-3 in the old First Division on 9 March, 1991.
Kevin Keegan's team go into the match hoping to extend a six match unbeaten home League record against the Anfield club.
Manchester City's biggest win in this corresponding fixture was 6-0 on 11 September, 1935. Liverpool's widest victory in a League game at Manchester City was 0-5 on 10 April, 1982. Both games were in the former First Division.
MANCHESTER CITY
Current League position
14th 8 points
12 places and 7 points below Liverpool
Best Scenario at the end of day
Up 8 to 6th
Worst Scenario at the end of day
Down 4 to 18th
If lose, while Newcastle [away to Birmingham], Charlton [home to Man U] and Bolton [home to Southampton] all win, and Sunderland [home to Aston Villa] also win but with a six or seven goal swing.
Sequences
DRAWN THEIR LAST 2 - both Prem
NOT WON IN 3 - all Prem [2 draws, 1 defeat]
UNDEFEATED IN 21 HOME LEAGUE GAMES Recent Form
2 wins in last 7 League and Cup games
Won 7 of last 12 League matches
Drawn 2 of last 7 in all competitions
3 draws in last 20 League encounters
Lost 3 of last 7 confrontations
3 defeats in last 13 League duels
Failed to score in 3 of last 7 contests
Failed to find in 3 of the last 20 League clashes 2 clean sheets in last 7
Managed 2 clean sheet in last 10 League outings Seasonal Form
| 2002/2003 PERFORMANCE |
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| All competitions | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 9 |
| All competitions - Home | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Premiership | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 9 |
| Premiership - Home | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| CLEAN SHEETS: 2 | Premiership: 2 | : |
| FAILED TO SCORE: 3 | Premiership: 3 | : |
| RED CARDS: 3 | Premiership: 3 | : |
| EVER PRESENTS: |
| Niclas Jensen |
| Sylvain Distin |
| Ali Benarbia |
| Eyal Berkovic |
| Sun Jihan |
| Marc-Vivien Foe |
| Shaun Wright-Phillips |
| Nicolas Anelka |
| Started every game: |
| Niclas Jensen |
| Sylvain Distin |
| Ali Benarbia |
| Eyal Berkovic |
| Sun Jihan |
| Marc-Vivien Foe |
| Shaun Wright-Phillips |
| Nicolas Anelka |
Potential Career Milestones
Shaun GOATER is a hat trick away from totalling 100 goals for Man City If named in the eleven, Shaun WRIGHT-PHILLIPS will be making his 50th League start for City
| BIRTHDAY BOYS |
| Player | D.O.B. | In relation to Match Day |
| Sun Jihan | 30.09.77 | 25 this Monday |
ADDITIONAL CITY NOTES
Wimbledon were the last club to defeat City in a League game at Maine Road. The Dons won 4-0 on 29 September, 2001.
One of three clubs to have had most players sent off in Premiership matches this season - 2. The others are Southampton and West Brom.
Hit the woodwork four times in Premiership matches this season. That's more times than any other club.
LIVERPOOL
Current League position
2nd 15 points
2 points off the pace
Best Scenario at the end of day
Up 1 to TOP
If win, while Arsenal [away to Leeds] lose.
Worst Scenario at the end of day
Down 3 to 5th
If lose by three clear goals, while Chelsea [home to West Ham] and Tottenham [home to Middlesbrough] win.
Sequences
UNDEFEATED IN THE LEAGUE THIS SEASON [4 wins, 3 draws]
9 UNBEATEN IN THE PREMIERSHIP [9 wins, 3 draws] Recent Form
4 wins in last 9 League and Cup games
Won 17 of last 22 Premiership matches
Drawn 3 of last 9 in all competitions
3 draws in last 17 top flight encounters
Lost 2 of last 9 confrontations
1 defeat in last 24 top division duels
Failed to score in 2 of last 9 contests
Failed to find the net in 1 of last 24 League clashes
3 clean sheets in last 9
Managed 8 clean sheets in last 14 top tier League outings Seasonal Form
| 2002/2003 PERFORMANCE |
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| All competitions | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 12 |
| All competitions - Away | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Premiership | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 8 |
| Premiership - Away | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 |
| CLEAN SHEETS: 3 | Premiership: 3 | : |
| FAILED TO SCORE: 2 | Premiership: 0 | : |
| RED CARDS: 1 | Premiership: 0 | : |
| EVER PRESENTS: |
| Jerzy Dudek |
| Sami Hyypia |
| Emile Heskey |
| Danny Murphy |
| Steven Gerrard |
| Started every game: |
| Jerzy Dudek |
| Sami Hyypia |
| Steven Gerrard |
Potential Career Milestones
If he plays, Steve GERRARD will be making his 150th club appearance - all for Liverpool.
| BIRTHDAY BOYS |
| Player | D.O.B. | In relation to Match Day |
| John Arne Riise | 24.09.80 | 22 last Tuesday |
ADDITIONAL REDS NOTES
Unbeaten in nine Premiership matches:- | 08 May | Blackburn | H | 4-3 | W | |
| 11 May | Ipswich T | H | 5-0 | W | |
| 18 Aug | Aston Villa | A | 1-0 | W | |
| 24 Aug | Southampton | H | 3-0 | W | |
| 28 Aug | Blackburn | A | 2-2 | D | |
| 02 Sep | Newcastle | H | 2-2 | D | |
| 11 Sep | Birmingham | H | 2-2 | D | |
| 14 Sep | Bolton W | A | 3-2 | W | |
| 21 Sep | W B A | H | 2-0 | W | |
Last Premiership defeat was 1-0 at Tottenham on 27 April, 2002.
That was also the last occasion in which failed to score.
One of three clubs with an unbeaten top division record. The others are Arsenal and Chelsea.
One of three clubs to have scored in every Premiership game. The others are Arsenal and Bolton.
One of three clubs to have scored most goals in the last five minutes of Premiership matches - 3. The others are Arsenal and Fulham.
One of two clubs to have conceded most goals in the last five minutes of Premiership matches - 3. The other is West Ham.
Scored first on most occasions in top flight games - 6.
One of two clubs to have the lead on most occasions in top flight matches. - 5. The other is Tottenham.
Been awarded four penalties in Premiership matches this season, but scored from two of them. No other club have been awarded more.
Committed 58 fouls in Premiership matches this season - that's fewer than any other club. Fired 65 shots on target in Premiership matches this season - that's more than any other club.
REFEREE REPORT
| MAN IN THE MIDDLE |
| PAUL DURKIN (Portland, Dorset) |
| Total Prem gms | Red cards | Yellow cards |
| 4 | 0 | 15 |
| Premiership matches officiated |
| Date | R | Y | | Match | | R | Y |
| 19 Aug | 0 | 1 | Newcastle | 4-0 | West Ham | 0 | 2 |
| 27 Aug | 0 | 3 | Arsenal | 5-2 | W B A | 0 | 2 |
| 31 Aug | 0 | 3 | Birmingham | 2-1 | Leeds U | 0 | 3 |
| 23 Sep | 0 | 1 | Fulham | 0-0 | Chelsea | 0 | 0 |
| OTHERS OFFICIALS |
| Assistant | Glenn Turner |
| Assistant | Des Morrison |
| Fourth Official | Mike Riley |
| Delegate | Steven Lodge |
