Following yesterday's draw at Anfield in a game widely labelled as laying a marker down for fourth place, it is ourselves rather than Liverpool who have attracted the most criticism.
Or more accurately, Mark Hughes has.
Given the absences from Liverpool's side in addition to their recent travails on the pitch, there appears to be opinion that the approach to the game was not sufficiently attacking enough for a side with lofty ambitions. Click to continue reading...

This weeks piece from Neil Ashton in the NOTW suggests a problem at the club between Mark Hughes and Jim Cassell:

The simmering tensions between Mark Hughes and legendary academy director Jim Cassell erupted after his office was cleared without his knowledge.

Cassell, who has recently been promoted to work in Abu Dhabi, discovered files and paperwork from over 10 years' service had been dumped in a corridor at Manchester City's Platt Lane academy.

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After being left out of the sixteen for yesterdays draw at Anfield, the Mirror today suggests this could lead to a head to head between Richard and Mark Hughes:

Micah Richards will this week have showdown talks with Manchester City boss Mark Hughes after being axed from the squad to face Liverpool yesterday.

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Okay, admit it. Even though you thoroughly enjoy watching the Premier League, especially your favorite team each week, there are often times when you're not too bothered about missing a match on television featuring teams that either don't excite you or that you're not interested in.

But which team in particular do you dread watching more than any other in the Premier League?

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Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez and Manchester City manager Mark Hughes during their English Premier League soccer match at Anfield, Liverpool, England, Saturday Nov. 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Tim Hales)Losing Robin van Persie to a much-publicized, placen... Click to continue reading...

...que tanto Pep Guardiola como los aficionados del Barça estén algo preocupados. A falta de tres días para el trascendental duelo ante el Inter por Champions y a tan sólo una semana del gran clásico, el conjunto culé volvió a dejar puntos fuera de casa y acusó nuevamente la falta de pegada ante la ausencia de Ibrahimovic. Click to continue reading...

With little moments of inspiration and woeful errors throughout the game, one might have thought this was a Championship game. On this evidence, a 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Manchester City was a fair result. Despite a combined spending of almost £400m, there was little evidence that either side has the quality that merits Champions League football next season. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez praised his side's character after they fought back for a 2-2 draw with Manchester City.
Yossi Benayoun's goal earned Liverpool a draw after goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and Stephen Ireland cancelled out Martin Skrtel's opener for the home side.
The draw means Liverpool have only won once in their last ten games in all competitions, but Benitez was happy with the attitude of his players. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez insisted his side will finish in the Champions League places following their 2-2 home draw with Manchester City.
The Reds have lost five and drawn two of their opening 13 Premier League matches and are now 13 points adrift of Premier League leaders Chelsea.
But a defiant Benitez said: "When we have all our players coming back I am confident we will start winning games. Click to continue reading...

Rafa Benitez needs to drop the handbrake and throw in Alberto Aquilani to put Liverpool's season into top gear.
This is a crossroads fixture for both teams and already seen as crucial for Liverpool and Manchester City.
But City have missed the chance to put daylight between themselves and Liverpool in recent weeks. Click to continue reading...

Steven Gerrard has had a second painkilling injection to ensure he leads from the front as Liverpool begin another pivotal week.
The Kop skipper returned to the starting line-up for yesterday's Premier League clash with Manchester City after recovering from a groin injury.
Now he's hoping to inspire a Champions League revival against Debrecen on Tuesday. Click to continue reading...

Mark Hughes will make another audacious bid to prise Fernando Torres away from Anfield if Manchester City replace Liverpool in the Premier League's so-called Big Four this season.
Manchester City had a £70million offer for Spain striker Fernando Torres rejected last summer but will go back for him if they qualify for the Champions League for the first time. Click to continue reading...

Thank god the Premier League is back. Nothing against international football, but there's something very comforting with getting back into the ritual of watching Premier League football and being familiar with the surroundings, the pace of the game and the excitement it creates.

So the Liverpool against Manchester City game on early Saturday was the perfect re-introduction to the Premier League.

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When football pundits discuss Carlos Tevez, they often talk about his "work rate" and his "eye for the ball." At times, though, the words "work rate" can morph into a backhanded compliment as if those pundits are really saying, "He's rubbish as a goal scorer, but boy, he sure works hard, doesn't he?

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(video gol highlights di Manchester United-Everton)
I risultati della Premier League:
CHELSEA-WOLVERHAMPTON 4-0 (Malouda, 2 Essien, Joe Cole)
MANCHESTER UNITED - EVERTON (Fletcher, Carrick e Valencia)
SUNDERLAND-ARSENAL 1-0 (Bent)
LIVERPOOL-MANCHESTER CITY 2-2 (Skrtel (L), Adebayor, Ireland (MC), Benayoun)
BIRMINGHAM-FULHAM 1-0 (Bowyer)
BURNLEY-ASTON VILLA 1-1 (Caldwell (B), Heskey)
HULL CITY-WEST HAM 3-3 (Franco, Collison (WH), aut. Click to continue reading...

(video gol highlights di Liverpool-Manchester City)

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• Manchester City and Liverpool drew 2 - 2 this morning. Blog buddy Yossi Benayoun's equalizer secured the draw. Benayoun had just flown back at 3:00AM from Serbia, after receiving extensive horse placenta massages on his hamstring. No word on if he ate hay for breakfast. Neither team looked deserving of a win, though City's play improved after the introduction of Carlos Tevez in the second half.

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Reina
Carragher Skrtel Agger Insua
Mascherano Lucas
Kuyt Gerrard Babel
Ngog
Goals:
Skrtel 50'
Adebayor 69'
Ireland 76'
Benayoun 77'
Paid the price for sitting on a lead and for poor marking on set plays. And, of course, less than 10 minutes later, Liverpool went behind to an incredibly dubious goal. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool hosted Manchester City in the English Premier League on Saturday, November 21, 2009. The match took place at Anfield as Steven Gerrard returned to the line-up for Liverpool but Fernando Torres was out with an injury. Were Liverpool able to get a much needed win or did Manchester City show they are ready to challenge for a top four finish?

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On this week's podcast the World Cup continues to take centre stage. We also review the football stories of the past week and make our predictions on the big games. Come along to the site at languagecaster.com to read more.

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FEATURED POSTS Download the latest podcast here Listen to the main report here Read the review of the football week in the good, the bad and the ugly Read our fabulous Glossary of footballing phrases

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PREDICTION

This week's featured match is Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen

Damon: 2-3 | Damian: 1-0 | Guest: 1-1 Check the rest of this weekend's predictions here

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This week's QUIZ QUESTION:

When was the last time that Manchester City won the League?

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Todays starting lineup against Manchester City. Reina, Skrtel, Carragher, Agger, Insua, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt, Gerrard, Babel, Ngog. Subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, El Zhar, Aurelio, Riera, Benayoun, Kyrgiakos. Click to continue reading...

The MLS Cup Final is tomorrow at 8:30 on ESPN (nice coverage for Soccer here in the US) and we still don't know if Becks is hurt or not. With Landon Donovan also being named the MVP of the league and RSL chomping at the bit to get this thing on I will still ask the same question. Do you trust L.

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21/11/2009Liverpool - Manchester City ore 13.45Birmingham - Fulham ore 16.00Burnley - Aston Villa ore 16.00Chelsea - Wolverhampton ore 16.00Hull City - West Ham ore 16.00Sunderland - Arsenal ore 16.00Manchester United - Everton ore 18.3022/11/2009Bolton - Blackburn ore 14.30Tottenham - Wigan ore 16.00Stoke City - Portsmouth ore 17. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool v Manchester City
English Premier League
Saturday, 21 November, 2009
Anfield

The team most likely to drop out of the Big Four this season goes up against the team most likely to replace them in the Champions League next season. Saturday's first act of Manchester v Liverpool (Manchester United host Everton later in the day) sees 'skint' Liverpool host 'moneybags' Manchester City.

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The English Premier League returns on Saturday, November 21, 2009 with a full set of matches. One of the marquee match-ups includes Liverpool hosting Manchester City. Both clubs are looking for a top four finish but one is on the rise and the other on the decline. Liverpool has struggled this season and is in danger of missing the UEFA Champions League knockout stage and a top for finish in the Premier League.

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Video goal highlights from the Liverpool vs Manchester City Premier League game on Saturday, November 21, 2009. Game kicks off at 12.45 UK time at Anfield, Liverpool. The Reds will have Steven Gerrard in their starting lineup, but will be without Fernando Torres. Manchester City go into this game having drawn their last five games [. Click to continue reading...

According to MirrorFootball, Aston Villa are interested in Manchester City defender Micah Richards. It is reported that Manchester City are planning to go after Barcelona defender Dani Alves and if they sign him, Richards will be expendable.

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The International break is over and it is time to get back to Premier League action. The big game this weekend has to be the lunch time match up between Liverpool and Manchester City.

Liverpool v Man City
This is really a huge game for two teams who have Champions League ambitions.

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The International break is over and it is time to get back to Premier League action. The big game this weekend has to be the lunch time match up between Liverpool and Manchester City.

Liverpool v Man City
This is really a huge game for two teams who have Champions League ambitions.

Click to continue reading...

EPL on ESPN2: Liverpool - Manchester City at 7:30am. On Setanta: Chelsea - Wolverhampton at 9:30am, Burnley - Aston Villa at 5pm, and Birmingham City - Fulham at 8:30pm. On Fox Soccer Channel: Sunderland - Arsenal at 10am, Manchester United - Everton at 12:30pm, and Hull - West Ham United at 7pm. Championship on Setanta: Ipswich - Sheffield United at 12:10pm. Click to continue reading...

The first Premier League match of the weekend also happens to be one of the biggest, as Liverpool look to revive their season when they take on top four chasing Manchester City.
The Reds' 2-2 draw with Birmingham City last time out stretched their horror run to one win in nine games. With five league losses already, it would appear that their title race is all but run. Click to continue reading...

Rafael Benitez acknowledges that Liverpool's clash with Manchester City on Saturday is 'make or break' to their hopes of ensuring Champions League football next season.
The stakes are very high for boss Benitez, who has sent four players - Yossi Benayoun, Albert Riera, Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio - to Belgrade this week for unorthodox placenta cell treatment on their injuries. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has hailed the clinic that has got four of his top men fit for Saturday's crunch Premier League encounter with Manchester City.
Benitez defended the use of a controversial Serbian clinic to get Glen Johnson, Fabio Aurelio, Yossi Benayoun and Albert Riera all fit. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool clash with Manchester City this weekend and Rafael Benitez will be hoping the international break will have given his side the opportunity to turn their recent shoddy form around.
Roaming right-back Glen Johnson, according to Benitez, has received the experimental placenta massage that Arsenal striker Robin van Persie elected to try following the injury he sustained while representing Netherlands. Click to continue reading...

Rafa Benitez said he would quit Liverpool if Fernando Torres is sold. The Spanish striker could have been sold last summer to Manchester City if Benitez had accepted their offer – and there will no doubt be more enquiries coming in for Torres until the day he does actually leave.
But what is remarkable about the offer made to Liverpool last summer is the scale of the City bid: £70million for Torres plus and additional £30million for Javier Mascherano. Click to continue reading...