Live - Man City v Liverpool

GOALFLASHES AND MAJOR INCIDENTS (all times BST)

To get involved use 606, Twitter or SMS via 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666 (worldwide) with FOOTBALL before your message. (Not all contributions can be used. Messages will be charged at your standard operator rate.)

By Sam Lyon

1952: This, by the way, is Mansour's first appearance at the club in his two years as owner. Will that inspire the hosts or just give them the Sheikhs? I'll stop now.

1950: Just seen Sheikh Mansour taking in proceedings before kick-off inside Eastlands, and the Man City owner is getting a right royal reception from the home fans. We've got 10 minutes until kick-off - almost time to Sheikh, rattle and roll...? Ahem. I'll get my coat.

Haydn22 on Twitter: "Mancini has got the looks, the formations and is aiming for the trophies of Mourinho. Mini-me?"

1948: And what, I hear you ask, do our great friends at Infostrada Sports make of tonight's match-up? Well based on their Euro Club Index, the probabilities for tonight's encounter are thus:
Manchester City win: 40%
Liverpool win: 34%
Furthermore, should City win tonight their ranking will leap from 26th to 18th. Liverpool will stay in ninth. I'm sure the maths wizards among you get all that, but frankly I'd need someone to explain in a very loud voice and using very small words for me to get anywhere near an understanding of it. Each to their own, though, and all that.

redandblackT on 606: "If this doesn't end 6-0 then Lyon's obviously to blame!"
Haha - ouch, no pressure!

yizzi25 on Twitter: "It is indeed a mouth-watering fixture - I can't imagine Man City losing this one - another 6-0 on the cards? Maybe yes!"

1944: MAN CITY v LIVERPOOL:
Chief football writer Phil McNulty reports: "Fernando Torres makes his first start of the season for Liverpool, but the big talking point is Javier Mascherano's exclusion amid talk of a Barcelona bid. The exact circumstances of his absence will become clear later, but Roy Hodgson presses on with a positive formation as David Ngog, Milan Jovanovic and Dirk Kuyt give Torres support as the Argentine midfield man looks to be heading for the exit. Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini gives a debut to James Milner, but Mario Balotelli is out with a knee injury while David Silva and Emmanuel Adebayor only makes the bench - an indication of the resources available at Eastlands these days. Yaya Toure, Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry will provide the solid midfield base Mancini hopes will allow Milner and Adam Johnson to flourish, with Carlos Tevez the spearhead."

AVFC_OnTour on 606: "Hoping for a classic tonight to cheer me up after my trip to Newcastle yesterday. If Milner scores the first goal though I might watch something else!"

Mo, Bournemouth, via text: "Why can't Mancini understand that you can't play three defensive midfielders in the same XI? Sorry to say but this game has got 0-0 written all over it."

1938: A word of warning ahead of tonight's proceedings, folks. Five of the last seven matches between these two sides has ended all square, with just 16 goals scored in 11 previous clashes involving this pair. With both teams having kicked off their league campaigns with a draw, followed by narrow 1-0 wins in the Europa League, as well - maybe we would all do well not to hold our breath in anticipation of a goal frenzy tonight. Right...?

Scouse Fred, Milton Keynes via text: "A clear six-pointer, this clash. Let's hope we can get that vital win to kickstart our redeeming season!"

Malchickles on Twitter: "I must say, as a Liverpool fan, it's actually quite nice to worry that our manager may be playing a too-attacking lineup..."

eric the mighty on 606: "Mancini might be playing for a containing first half, and to introduce a striker or two early in the second half. (Jose) Mourinho used to do this all the time and 1-0 is the usual outcome, rubbish for spectators, good for short-fuse chairmen."

1934: MAN CITY v LIVERPOOL:
Chief football writer Phil McNulty reports: "Manchester City fans get the first glimpse of their latest expensively-reconstructed side on home territory against Roy Hodgson's Liverpool - with both sides looking to build on respectable draws in their opening games. Hodgson claims he would rather have Fernando Torres than City's money, and we will see if his confidence in the fit-again Spain striker is justified as he is expected to start. City boss Roberto Mancini, by contrast, is convinced his £24m capture from Inter Milan Mario Balotelli could eventually be even better than Torres. Big talk to match City's big wallet and big ambitions. This game will be an intriguing measure of two clubs in the throes of two very different transitional periods."

1931: Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson: "I don't know where he (Javier Mascherano) is but he's not here, that's for sure. His mind wasn't right so it wasn't right to select him. Hopefully, I will be able to select him in the future. There's plenty of interest in him but our position remains the same - until we get an offer that matches our valuation we won't sell. I'm sure it'll be sorted one way or another soon."

kingofkings83 on 606: "Massive game for Lucas tonight. He is going to have to be the holding player in the middle to allow Gerrard to get forward. It's your time to shine Lucas Leiva!"

xvicki on Twitter: "All these top class strikers City say they have bought and yet they play one up front? Don't see Adam Johnson as a forward."

1925: Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini: "We are at the beginning of the season, when all the games are difficult. I hope that tonight will be a good match for us. I am disappointed about Balotelli not being in the squad, but he has a little problem in his knee and we didn't want to take any risk."

Simon Of Fulham on 606: "Roy Hodgson masterminded two great wins at Man City for Fulham, I doubt if he will be over-whelmed by City tonight either. Liverpool to edge it."

sxp123 on 606: "Very negative formation by Man City, but I still feel they'll nick it by the odd goal."

1922: MAN CITY v LIVERPOOL:
Man City: Hart, Richards, Toure, Kompany, Lescott, De Jong, Toure Yaya, Barry, Milner, Adam Johnson, Tevez. Subs: Given, Zabaleta, Wright-Phillips, Adebayor, Silva, Vieira, Jo.
Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Carragher, Agger, Jovanovic, Gerrard, Lucas, Kuyt, Torres, Ngog. Subs: Jones, Aurelio, Pacheco, Kyrgiakos, Maxi, Babel, Poulsen.
Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)

1920: And in the red corner, it is Liverpool - one of the most successful clubs ever in the history of English football. With new boss Roy Hodgson in charge, the Reds are desperate to hit the trophy trail again for the first time since 2006, and it is with that in mind that they resisted any interest in City's millions and kept hold of star striker Fernando Torres in the summer. Steven Gerrard also stayed, and while Javier Mascherano continues to be linked with a move away from the club the additions of Joe Cole, Milan Jovanovic and Christian Poulsen should ensure the Merseysiders are well placed to improve on last season's seventh-placed finish in the Premier League. Oh - and if you have a spare few hundred million in the bank, you might be able to discuss a club takeover. Time to rattle those piggy banks, people.

Meerschaum_221B on 606: "More like an end of season match this; both teams will be desperate for a win to break out of mid-table. Both managers will want to add credibility to their title ambitions."

1917: What can we expect tonight then? Well in the blue corner, it is football's latest financial powerhouse, Manchester City. In their efforts to secure a first major trophy since 1976, the blue half of Manchester has splashed more than £300m on transfer fees alone since oil barons Abu Dhabi United Group took control in September 2008 - and that despite them not (yet?) being able to offer Champions League football. Their two latest recruits - Mario Balotelli and James Milner - arrived last week for a combined £48m but only the latter is fit to make his domestic debut tonight, while in manager Roberto Mancini they have a man tasked with narrowing the largest squad in the Premier League into XI starting positions on a weekly basis - while not giving any of his megastars the hump. Not easy.

MarkPilkington1 on Twitter: "That was a fantastic introduction to a game that's gonna be 0-0! I do hope I'm wrong though."

liver-brilliant-pool on 606: "I really wish all the Liverpool fans who are criticising Mascherano for his supposed strike would stop and think about the character and commitment the player has proven time and again in his club career."

Jeppo via text: "The whole Mascherano situation is one massive negotiation now. Just do the deal with Barcelona and bring some quality back into the club."

1911: MORE BREAKING TEAM NEWS:
New signing James Milner starts for Manchester City, but Mario Balotelli does not. Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson hands a first start of the season to Fernando Torres.

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty on Twitter: "Just discovered my newly-repaired laptop has no pounds sign on it. How can you cover a Manchester City game without a pounds sign?"

HenryWhitfield on Twitter: "Love it! I'm excited and I'm a Chelsea boy, what a Monday night match-up! Hope we didn't use up the goals this weekend!"

1907: Before we get into all that, though, may I remind you that, as always, this commentary without your input is like a library without any books - useless. So get yourselves involved in your usual barnstorming fashion by way of 606, you can text me via 81111 (UK) and +44 7786200666 (worldwide), or you can always get in touch via Twitter @sampatricklyon. This is your time to shine.

1904: BREAKING TEAM NEWS:
Javier Mascherano is not in the Liverpool squad.

1903: Yes, only a titanic tussle could dare hope to match a stunning weekend of Premier League football - and luckily for us we have a couple of heavyweights ready to battle it out for our viewing pleasure. Two teams with designs on the title, two teams looking to bounce back from relative disappointment in their last campaigns, two teams who have not been afraid to splash the cash this summer and two teams boasting some of the finest players in European football today. Oh, and there's speculation midfielder Javier Mascherano has refused to play tonight in an attempt to force a move away from Anfield. In short, it's a match with more subplots than a Miss Marple omnibus. I present to you Man City v Liverpool. Are you having it?

1900: On the back of a weekend that brought us 35 goals in nine games, you might wonder how on earth the Premier League follows that. Well wonder no more. You ready for a spot of Monday Magic?

Potenshöjande medel - köp viagra på nätet