Manchester City vs Liverpool

Manchester City VS Liverpool

Liverpool once had a lot of financial muscle, in fact, the players that Manchester City have bought this summer were all once courted by Benitez.

Now Liverpool are looking at Bosman transfers and the lower end of the transfer market for bargain deals. Manchester City have unlimited funds and they have just signed Milner in a £26 million deal.

He is 12/1 to score first and open his Manchester City account. For all City's spending in the last few years, on the playing field the team still looks unbalanced; and not in the same league as the Chelsea team that have scored twenty goals in their last three Premier League matches.

Manchester City managed to scrape a draw away at Tottenham in their opening match. However, they have Joe Hart to thank for keeping them in the match. Mancini's shrewdest signing was retaining England's future number one at the club for the season.

Manchester City are 6/4 to keep a clean sheet and they will need to be at their best to negate Fernando Torres. He is almost back to full fitness and he just needs a few more games under his belt for him to be 100%! He was being courted by Mancini earlier this summer and had it not been for a poor World Cup he could have been lining up in City's colours tomorrow.

It must be said though, for all Manchester City's talent up-front, they still lacked creativity against Tottenham. Mancini is yet to work out his best eleven and there could be further upheaval at the club.

Liverpool have an astute, experienced manager in Hodgson who will get the best out the likes of Torres, Carragher and Gerrard. Joe Cole is suspended for the match but as a Chelsea fan, I can assure all Liverpool fans that he is a far better signing than splashing the cash on Milner.

For all the attacking talent on display and the amount of goals the Premier League has produced of late, I would still consider backing only Liverpool to score at 7/2. Reina is a world class goalkeeper and he will come back stronger from his mishap against Arsenal.

Liverpool -1 goal at 11/2 could be tempting for a small punt. I can see Manchester City imploding if they concede an early goal and although I am a Chelsea fan, money alone cannot buy you the title.

Manchester City have had to travel across Europe midweek and I always consider that factor if backing the team on Sunday. Most players at City have only recently returned to training, they lack match practice and they have a few new first team players.

It could take time for Silva and Yaya Toure to gel and adapt to the pace of the Premier League and Gerrard can make the most of this poorly organised City side!