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The two most impressive teams of this Premier League season meet this boxing day. Manchester City may be the better team on paper, but Liverpool can come away from the Etihad with all three points for the first time this season, and here is why.
Luis Suarez
It may be a little stupid to say that one player can be the difference between two top clubs, but when it’s a player of Luis Suarez’s calibre, it is completely justified. The Uruguayan has been as impressive as a player can be this season, hitting 19 goals in 12 Premier League games. Manchester City’s weakest spots are their defence and their goalkeeper, which will be put to test when they come up against the Uruguayan hit-man. Brendan Rodgers has taken Liverpool back to the top, bringing back the lost glory and also giving a soulless squad grit and determination, though Suarez is still the main reason why the Reds find themselves on top of the league.
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Manchester City’s defence and goalkeeper are poor
Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta may be defenders of a high quality, but Gael Clichy can make mistakes, Matija Nastasic is inexperienced and Joleon Lescott is average at best. Aleksandar Kolarov is reliable and a genuine attacking threat, though he is rarely trusted in big games. However their main problem is the lack of a quality goalkeeper. Joe Hart is as overrated as a player can be, and is by far the worst goalkeeper amongst the big clubs in the Premier League this season, while Costel Pantilimon is pretty inexperienced for someone who is 26 years old. Liverpool can exploit the City backline with their passing and also with the pace and skill of the star duo Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho.
Tough defence
Liverpool’s defence over recent seasons has been laughable. The slow and sluggish Glen Johnson was always guaranteed a starting spot, while Martin Skrtel struggled with injury, even Andre Wisdom got a shot at first team football on occasion, and the less said about him the better. However, Liverpool now have a strong defence, strong enough to make them title contenders. Kolo Toure has been reborn at Anfield, while Jose Enrique would be a sure starter for Spain if La Roja didn’t have such a good squad. Daniel Agger meanwhile has been as reliable as ever and Aly Cissokho is seemingly made for the Premier League. Liverpool have one of the best defences in the Premier League, and it will be hard for City to stroll through it like they have done against so many other English clubs this season.
