Event of the Day: Manchester City versus Liverpool
Our event of the day is the pivotal Premier League clash between defending champions Manchester City and league-leaders Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium. The hosts have the chance to close the gap on their title rivals to just four points with a win tonight. However, should Jurgen Klopp’s side take all three points, they will tighten their stranglehold at the summit of the Premier League and move 10 points clear of City, who currently sit in third place behind Tottenham. Cracks started to show in Pep Guardiola’s City side over Christmas as they lost two straight games in the Premier League. However, they bounced back last time out in style, running out 3-1 winners against Southampton to keep their title hopes alive going into 2019. Guardiola will the buoyed by key man Sergio Aguero’s return to fitness, after the Argentinian was sidelined for most of the hectic festive period with a groin injury. The 30-year-old has already netted nine times in the league this term and will be essential to City’s title defence in 2019.
Liverpool are the league’s only side who can boast an unbeaten record this term, with the Reds having picked up 54 points from the 60 available thus far. Only Tottenham have a better away record in the top tier of English football than Liverpool, who have won eight and drawn 2 away from Anfield this term. Klopp’s side were on the wrong end of a 5-0 drubbing last time they played a Premier League tie at the Etihad, however Liverpool went some way to exercising their Etihad demons when they won 2-1 there in a Champions League Quarter-final last April. Last time these two heavyweights faced each other they played out a 0-0 draw at Anfield early on in the season. No team in the Premier League have scored more goals than these two teams this season and Thursday’s blockbuster game should be one for the ages.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the cricket and the First Day of the Fourth Test between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The visitors currently lead the series 2-1 and will be hoping to close it out in this final Test of the series. Other honourable mentions include the Golden State Warriors versus the Houston Rockets matchup in the NBA at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. The Warriors are second in the Western Conference, however the Rockets have lost just once in their last 11 games and will be sure to give the defending champs a great match. Elsewhere, in the NHL, the Boston Bruins host the Calgary Flames as the home team go in search of their third straight win. In La Liga, Real Madrid are in action as they go up against Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Finally, Grigor Dimitrov and Kei Nishikori do battle today in the Quarter-finals at the ATP Brisbane tournament.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by Premier League