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Second against third and a game between two sides who exist almost permanently on the front foot.
They are the Premier Leagueas highest and joint second-highest scorers this season with 84 league goals between them and, if we look at their most recent matches are, they are in no mood to slow down. In this era of super-managers, it is also difficult not to get seduced by everything that comes with JA?rgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola facing for the first time since they were Bundesliga antagonists.

Both Klopp and Guardiola have the history in management, having met eight times in the Bundesliga during their stints at Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.In their eight meetings, both have won four times apiece. No doubt they will want to move ahead of each other in their own personal head-to-head, but more importantly, they will want a vital three points Guardiola was at Anfield on Tuesday night to see Liverpool beat Stoke City 4-1 and from his seat, in the main stand he may well have felt a sense of concern as the home side delivered a performance filled with the attacking vigour that has marked them out as genuine title-challengers. Yet the Catalan may also have taken encouragement from the manner in which Stoke opened the scoring after 12 minutes, with Jonathan Waltersa near-post header exposing the weaknesses.

Overall Liverpool defended well against Stoke but Sergio AgA?ero, available for Saturdayas encounter after serving a four-game suspension, will fancy his chances of piercing the backline, as no doubt will Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, the revitalised Yaya TourA and the returning and much loved Raheem Sterling. Liverpool, leagueas top scoring side reached 45 goal mark, 6 more than City from the same number of games played.

The Merseyside club has also scored four or more goals at Anfield on four occasions and created enough opportunities against Stoke to surpass the 6-1 thrashing they handed out to Watford in early November. In last 14 months under Klopp, Liverpool has changed enormously with full of relentless and clever gameplay. It is because of which Daniel Sturridge had to wait until the 70th minute of Tuesdayas match to score his 1st premier league goal of the season. His barren spell has gone unnoticed this season as Sadio ManA, Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Adam Lallana and others in red have run riot but the major concern for Liverpool will be the absence of Philippe Coutinho who was supposed to be fit for tomorrowas clash.

This game will be equally crucial for both the sides as they will be looking to cut down the gap between them and Chelsea who will be playing Stoke earlier that day and are fully expected to win that game seeing their recent rampant form.

We can say with absolute assurance that Liverpool will attack City, City will attack Liverpool, both defences will concede and the noise will be close to thunderous at Anfield on New Year as Eve. Nothing is certain in football but Liverpool vs Manchester City under the Anfield lights should deliver fireworks on a day when skies across the world will be littered with them.

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