Good evening! What a treat we have for you tonight as two title rivals go head to head for the first time in the new Premier League season, with Manchester City hosting Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium. These two sides battled it out right to the end of last season in an enthralling title race that City eventually won by just two points, and both are expected to be amongst the challengers once more this time around. We should be in for a cracking match between two sides who scored 203 league goals between them last season. Let's start with a look at the hosts...

City began the defence of their Premier League title with a routine 2-0 victory over Newcastle United on the opening weekend, although the match itself was not quite as comfortable as the scoreline suggests. The Magpies had their chances to hurt City before Sergio Aguero arrived off the bench to put the game beyond Alan Pardew's side. It was by no means the most convincing of starts for City, but they still managed to claim all three points.

The performance was certainly an improvement on their display in the Community Shield too, where they were swept aside by Arsenal at Wembley. In truth, City did not look bothered about that match one bit, and you can be sure that there will be a higher level of intensity throughout the season. However, there were glaring weaknesses in that Community Shield performance that teams will look to exploit in the early stages of this campaign.

Tonight's match will be City's first at home this season, and Pellegrini will be hopeful that his side can replicate the form they showed at the Etihad all of last season. The champions won 17 of their 19 outings in front of their own fans, dropping just five points throughout the entire campaign. Chelsea were the only away side to win here in the league, although Liverpool did give them a good game when they met here on Boxing Day.

It was their sheer firepower up front that saw them amass such a formidable record. I mentioned earlier the amazing goalscoring tallies both sides were able to boast last season, and the bulk of City's 102 goals came here at the Etihad. They netted 63 times in just 19 home matches, which is more than 15 of the 20 Premier League clubs managed all together. They also only conceded 13 goals at home last season, which proved to be pivotal in the title race.

Goalscoring was certainly not an issue for Manuel Pellegrini's men, who have netted in each of their last 14 Premier League games, but the major difference in the title race came at the other end of the pitch. The likes of Joe Hart and Martin Demichelis were both criticised at different points in the campaign, but City still ended up with the second best defensive record in the top flight, conceding just 37 goals.

However, one area City will be looking to improve on this season is their record against their fellow title rivals. They managed to beat Liverpool in the corresponding fixture here on Boxing Day, but that was one of only two victories they managed over the teams that finished in the top four last term. The likes of Chelsea and Arsenal have both improved their squads, while Liverpool are also expected to be strong despite the loss to Suarez, so these matches could be crucial in determining the champions at the end of the campaign.

They do have a decent record against Liverpool in recent times, however. They are now unbeaten in their last five home league meetings with the Reds, and have scored exactly two goals in all of their last five meetings home and away. That does include a pre-season tie this summer, however, which saw Liverpool win on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

Whether Liverpool can draw on that result for confidence tonight remains to be seen, but there is certainly an air of excitement around the club. Having come so close to finally ending their title drought last time around and then losing star player Luis Suarez to Barcelona in the summer, a gloom threatened to descend on the Reds this summer. However, Brendan Rodgers has bought well and, as a squad, they look to be stronger this term than they were last, even accounting for Suarez's exit.

Of course, we can't mention Liverpool's summer transfer activity without giving a word to the biggest story of the last few days. Former Man City striker Mario Balotelli finalised his move to Anfield earlier today for a reported fee of just £16m. There is no doubting that the eccentric striker is a risk, but to get a player of his quality for that price is exceptional business. He is the marquee signing Liverpool needed to replace Suarez and, if it works out, it could prove to be a masterstroke. Even if it doesn't, though, at £16m you'd have to say it is worth the gamble.

He will come into an attack that flourished last season, firing Liverpool to within two points of the league title. They managed just one less goal than City in the end, netting 101 times in the league, although 31 of those did come from Suarez. Sturridge more than played his part, however, and even with the addition of Balotelli the Englishman is likely to be regarded as the club's number one striker. If he, along with the likes of Sterling and Coutinho, can continue their improvement then Rodgers will be confident of his side scoring plenty of goals once more.

It was at the other end that Liverpool fell apart, however, conceding 50 goals last season. Big questions were raised over the defence, and Rodgers has moved to answer them by bringing in Lovren. The former Southampton man was certainly not cheap, but he is a talker in the backline, which is what Liverpool were lacking at times last season. There were still signs of defensive shakiness last weekend, but with Southampton applying late pressure Liverpool may have buckled last season, whereas this time they held out for the win.

That will give Brendan Rodgers lots of confidence, even if the performance itself doesn't. Liverpool were on top until they opened the scoring, but Southampton worked their way back into the match and were very unfortunate to come away from Anfield with nothing. They hit the crossbar late on and missed a couple of glorious chances, but the Reds escaped with all three points having not been at their best.

Tonight provides their first away game of the season, although that won't worry Rodgers. His side boasted the best away record in the league last season, picking up 35 points with a better goal difference than Arsenal, who picked up the same amount. Unsurprisingly, that goal difference was built mainly on attacking than defending, with Liverpool scoring more goals on their travels than any other side last season. They are also unbeaten away from home in the league this year, although their last outing was the very costly 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace.

Liverpool have scored at least two goals in seven consecutive league away games, which is one short of the club record set in 1962-63. The last team to score at least twice in eight straight away matches was Manchester United in 2001-02, so it would be a significant achievement should Liverpool manage that today. They have scored in 28 of their last 29 league outings, but haven't kept a clean sheet in their last seven.

TEAM NEWS: Right, the teams are in for both sides, and the headline news is that new signing Alberto Moreno is thrown straight into the Liverpool starting lineup for his debut. He replaces Manquillo in the side, while there is also a change in the full-backs for City, who welcome Zabaleta back into the side in place of Kolarov. Full team news for both sides coming right up...

MAN CITY STARTING XI: Hart; Clichy, Kompany, Demichelis, Zabaleta; Fernando, Toure; Nasri, Jovetic, Silva; Dzeko

MAN CITY SUBS: Caballero, Sagna, Kolarov, Fernandinho, Milner, Navas, Aguero

LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Mignolet; Johnson, Lovren, Skrtel, Moreno; Allen, Gerrard, Henderson; Sterling, Coutinho; Sturridge

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Jones, Manquillo, Sakho, Toure, Can, Markovic, Lambert

So, what can we make of those two teams? Well, starting with the City change, they will be happy to have Zabaleta back in their ranks following his World Cup duties. The right-back is one of the most solid players in the Premier League and, despite the summer signing of Sagna, is expected to be first-choice in that position for most of the campaign. He slots into a familiar-looking back four, with the likes of Kompany, Demichelis and Clichy looking to carry on the good form they showed at the end of last season.

Behind them is Joe Hart, who faced questions over his place in the team last season. Indeed, following a few high-profile errors, he was dropped for a few weeks before being brought back into the fold by Pellegrini. There were renewed question marks over his number one spot when the talented Willy Caballero joined this summer, but once again he has managed to hold onto his place and is unlikely to give it up without a fight.

In midfield, new signing Fernando once again gets the nod over Fernandinho, with Yaya Toure alongside him. The Ivorian was not at his unstoppable best against Newcastle, but he can be a danger from anywhere on the field. We have seen him carry the ball from deep inside his own half with a powerful run while also popping up in the box to finish off a move. Liverpool will have to keep a very close eye on him today, and that midfield battle could be key to who emerges victorious from this one tonight.

The three behind the striker could also be key, with Nasri, Jovetic and Silva once again filling those roles. Silva can be a maestro in there if he is given time on the ball, and he has also already scored this season having got the first goal against Newcastle. Further forward, Dzeko is included once more after a good showing last week, while Aguero - who has the best minutes per goal ratio in Premier League history out of players to have scored 50 goals or more - is left on the bench.

Fifth in that list of minutes per goal ratio is Daniel Sturridge, who averages one every 136 minutes. That is a narrowly better record than Suarez, and the English striker is going to need to improve even more to make up for the Uruguayan's absence. He certainly knows where the goal is and netted the winner in the first game of the season, but there is a slight chance that his nose may be put out of joint by the arrival of Balotelli. Rodgers has insisted that that won't be the case and, with the new signing watching on from the stands tonight, Sturridge will be keen to put on a show.

Joining Sturridge in the front three are two players with very bright futures ahead of them. Sterling came on leaps and bounds last season and has already opened his account this time around with the opener against Southampton. His pace is a nightmare for defenders, while he is also a lot stronger than he looks and has plenty of composure when through on goal. City won;t have forgotten the goal he scored against them at Anfield in April, and they will be wary of giving him any space to run into tonight. Coutinho, meanwhile, can have a similar impact to Silva when on form, although the Brazilian didn't get much joy against Southampton last weekend.

Joe Allen comes in alongside Gerrard and Henderson in midfield, replacing Lucas Leiva from the side that started against Southampton. Henderson is another player to have shown a lot of improvement under Rodgers, and that has been helped by Gerrard's deeper role. The skipper was not given much time by Ward-Prowse in last weekend's match, so it will be interesting to see whether City assign someone to close him down whenever he gets the ball.

As I mentioned earlier, the problem area for Liverpool last season was the defence. Skrtel scored plenty of goals at one end, but also turned a few into his own net throughout the campaign and was always liable to make a mistake. Question marks also remain over Johnson, but with two new additions to the backline, Liverpool fans will be confident that they have improved that area of the pitch. It is a big game for Moreno to make his debut in, and a lot is expected of the Spaniard after Liverpool spent much of the summer chasing him.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at the Etihad, which means that it is time for a prediction! These games are always fairly tough to call. City were superb at home last season, while Liverpool were also very impressive on the road. Both meetings last term were settled by a single goal, and I expect another close encounter today. There should be goals and, with this match finishing 2-2 three of the last five times the sides have met, I'm going for another one. 2-2!

I was the only member of the Sports Mole sofa to plump for a draw, with the others going for a home win this evening. You can see what we had to say here:

Ominously for Liverpool, the away side has not won this fixture for almost six years. The last team to do so was the Reds when they edged a 3-2 triumph at Eastlands back in October 2008. They would certainly take a repeat this evening!

However, they may be forced to rely yet again on their firepower if they are to do so. They don't tend to keep City out at the Etihad having conceded 10 goals in their last four visits to the stadium. That is as many as they had conceded in the previous 11 visits before that.

We're just minutes away from kickoff now, and the excitement is starting to build. It is the first meeting of the big boys this season, and you couldn't wish for a bigger one than last term's top two going at it. This really should be an entertaining encounter.

KICKOFF: Here we go then! Balotelli watches on from the stands as his former club gets us underway against his new one. Who will grab the very early advantage in the title race?

Liverpool have seen more of the ball in these early stages, but both sides are just feeling each other out right now. The rain is pouring down in Manchester, as ever, so the conditions could play a part tonight.

Sturridge gets an early chance to run at the defence as Liverpool look to hit City on the break, but his pass is just too heavy for Sterling and runs through to Hart. Fairly even start to this one.

Liverpool place some nice football as they approach the City area, but the attack soon breaks down and the hosts have a chance to hit the Reds on the counter. Silva carries the ball forward from midfield, but his through-ball is cut out by Skrtel.

SHOT! The first sight of goal falls to City as Lovren misjudges a pass through and completely misses the ball. It arrives at the feet of Dzeko, who takes a touch and looks to hit an early shot, only to drag his tame effort a few yards wide. Shaky moment for Lovren there, though.

Gerrard pings a long ball through the middle to find Sterling, who has just eluded his marker to make it inside the box. He takes the ball down on his chest but, with his back to goal, can't fashion a threatening volley on the turn.

Gerrard has an early chance to deliver a free kick from the right, but Hart is out to claim it under no pressure. That was a decent position for the Reds, but they couldn't make the most of it.

SHOT! City once again hit Liverpool on the break, but the Reds get enough numbers back to prevent the hosts taking full advantage. Even so, Clichy hangs a cross up to the back post for an unmarked Zabaleta, who powers a first-time volley well over from a tight angle.

SAVE! City are creating all of the shooting opportunities here. Another comes as Skrtel rises to clear a Clichy cross, only getting it as far as Yaya Toure on the edge of the box. The midfielder is urged to shoot by the crowd and duly obliges, but it is a comfortable save for Mignolet.

It's Liverpool's turn to apply a bit of pressure now as they win a couple of corners in quick succession. City are unable to get the ball clear and it eventually breaks to Allen on the edge of the box. His volley is well blocked by Kompany, who raced out to thwart the Liverpool man's strike.

It has been a decent opening 20 minutes or so, with both sides having glimpses of goal without creating a really good chance. It is fairly open, with both teams being afforded space, which can only be a good thing from a neutral point of view.

Good play from Moreno as he races down the left flank before playing a low ball into the box that is fairly easily cleared. It comes back out to him, however, and he wins the Reds a free kick in a good crossing position...

Good goalkeeping from Hart as he comes out to get a good punch on the ball under heavy pressure. It was a dangerous delivery from Gerrard, but his former England colleague dealt with it very well.

At the other end, one of Zabaleta's trademark runs yields a corner for his side. The ball is floated into the middle and Mignolet comes to claim, only to be clattered into by Fernando, resulting in a free kick for the visitors.

We're 26 minutes in here and we still haven't seen a clear chance for either side. It has by no means been a boring match so far, but the defences are on top as things stand.

Good defending there from Skrtel as he is once again called upon to be at full stretch to cut out a pass through. It was Toure who was looking for Dzeko this time, but Skrtel just about made the crucial interception.

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the evening goes to Yaya Toure, who just tripped Coutinho from behind after the Brazilian had got in front of him. Quite a soft one from Michael Oliver, that.

City have had trouble getting the ball properly clear from free kicks and corners so far tonight. Often Liverpool have been able to recycle it and create another chance rather than City completely clearing the danger at the first time of asking.

SAVE! Gerrard wins the ball back in his own half and immediately launches a Liverpool attack, with Sterling picking out Sturridge at the back post. The striker takes it down well before beating Kompany with a clever body swerve and hammering a shot towards the near post from a tight angle. Hart is there to block it, but it was bright play from Sturridge.

Liverpool will be happy with how this match has gone so far. It has been an even encounter, but the visitors have looked very solid at the back and threatening coming forward as well. Liverpool have just about had more of the ball as well, which is not often something a visiting team can say at the Etihad.

Sterling has again looked like Liverpool's brightest player so far, with City struggling to deal with his pace and movement at times. Again, though, it is the defences of both sides that have been on top so far.

City have a very good spell of possession, keeping the ball inside the Liverpool half for a lengthy period of time. However, their patient probing comes to nothing as Liverpool keep their shape to eventually halt a Zabaleta run through.

First blood goes to Manchester City! After 41 minutes of defending well, Liverpool again get themselves in trouble at the back. Silva ghosted into the box and forced Lovren to lean over him and send an unconvincing header into the ground. Moreno should still deal with it, but Jovetic nips in to steal the ball off the toes of the debutant before blasting it past Mignolet from close range.

That goal came at the end of a prolonged piece of pressure from City, the first time they had managed to do that all game. Liverpool have played well so far, but that defensive lapse really cost them there.

There will be just the one minute of added time at the end of this first half.

Michael Oliver brings an end to the first half, and it is the hosts that go into the break in the lead. It was a very even opening 45 minutes on the whole, but City ended it on top and that proved to be key as they broke the deadlock just four minutes before the interval.

It was Stevan Jovetic who got the goal, pouncing on some hesitant defending from Moreno to slam the ball home from close range. Lovren got the first touch inside the box, nodding it down to the debutant, who took too long over his clearance, allowing Jovetic to steal in and beat Mignolet. Jovetic has enjoyed a good pre-season and has high hopes for the season, so that goal will do him the world of good.

Aside from the goal, both sides have really struggled to create a clear opening. Liverpool had the next best chance of the match when Sturridge took the ball down in the area before beating Kompany. However, the angle was always against him and Joe Hart was able to make the save at the near post.

In truth, Liverpool should have created more chances than they have done in this match. As I mentioned earlier, it was an even opening 45 minutes, but Liverpool did look marginally more threatening when coming forward. Sterling in particular looked bright, and Rodgers will want the youngster to get on the ball more often after the break. His pace and trickery is capable of causing City big problems, but they didn't make the most of that.

Aside from the goal, City have struggled to break down a resilient and organised Liverpool defence so far. Arguably their best chance fell to Toure on the edge of the box, but there were plenty of bodies between him and the goal, and Mignolet made a simple save from his subsequent effort. Dzeko and Zabaleta have also had sights of goal without hitting the target.

Rodgers has an interesting team talk at the break, as he will be pretty happy with what he has seen from his side so far. Defensively they have been solid, but he will want to see improvement in the attacking third. The visitors have got themselves into a few promising positions, but the final ball has not been good enough so far.

The same applies to City, who were not at their best in that first half. They were not fluid enough in attack, with the likes of Silva, Toure and Dzeko struggling to get involved. Still, if they can hold out for three points without playing at their best then it would be a massive win for them, regardless of the performance.

KICKOFF: Liverpool, who were sent out early for this second half, get us back underway having finally been joined by City. Can they get back into this match, or will City hold out?

It will be interesting to see how City approach this second half. It is not in their nature to park the bus, but should they pour men forward then that will create lots of space for Liverpool, who can be devastating on the counter-attack. Pellegrini may be tempted to be more cautious than usual as time goes by.

DISALLOWED GOAL! Liverpool have the ball in the back of the net, but it won't count! It was Sturridge who put it away expertly after Kompany had missed a cross, but the linesman's flag was up. That was very, very close.

At the other end, Dzeko is slipped through on goal but can't quite get the ball under complete control. That allows Moreno to steam in and hack the ball behind for a corner, which comes to nothing.

CHANCE! This is a decent chance for Jovetic to double his personally tally for the evening. He is left unmarked for a corner and rises to nod it goalwards, but he seems to just misjudge his jump and loops his header over the top.

Liverpool have a free kick in a very promising position here as Fernando trips Sterling, who has skipped beyond the new City midfielder. There are a few interested red shirts around the ball, but you'd think Gerrard is the favourite...

Henderson runs away from the ball and Gerrard opts to dink it over the wall and to his fellow midfielder, who has drifted into the box unmarked. It is a good move, but Henderson then appears to be in two minds as to whether to cross or shoot, and that allows Zabaleta time to get back and put it behind for a corner.

It's two for City and two for Jovetic as the striker doubles his personal tally to give his side a nice cushion in this match. It was a lovely move from the hosts, with Jovetic heavily involved in the build-up too. He flicked the ball through for Nasri, who returned the favour by cutting his low pass back into the box. Jovetic's strike isn't the cleanest, but it finds its way past Johnson on the line and into the net.

City are oozing confidence now as they go searching for a third goal that will surely kill this game off. As it is, Liverpool have a huge task ahead of them, but they will remember that City overturned a two-goal deficit in the reverse fixture at Anfield last season.

City come forward again as Liverpool struggle to deal with a few cute passes in and around their box. The ball breaks loose in the box as Skrtel and Dzeko trip over themselves trying to get to it. It falls to Jovetic, who pokes it wide, but the whistle has already gone for a foul on Skrtel.

LIVERPOOL SUB: The visitors make their first change of the night, and it sees Lazar Markovic come on for his debut. The new signing replaces Coutinho.

Almost a telling contribution immediately from Markovic as he slips a pass through to Moreno, who is bombing forward down the left. The defender gets into a very good position inside the box but looks for a teammate rather than shooting, and the ball is cleared behind for a corner.

Markovic has made a difference here. The Reds are starting to apply a bit more pressure on the City defence, which is resulting in some panicky play from the hosts. They hold firm, however, and soon regain control of the ball to take the sting out of the game.

SAVE! Lovely play from Sturridge as he skips past Kompany inside the box having been played through by Sterling. Again, the angle is against him, but this time he goes for the far corner, and Hart just gets a hand to it to send it out for a throw.

MAN CITY SUB: The hosts make their first change as Jesus Navas comes on to replace David Silva. That will give Liverpool a different test out on that right wing, where Navas will come up against a former teammate in Moreno.

A slight worry for City here as Dzeko was caught by a stray boot from Skrtel as the pair went up for an aerial challenge. There is a prominent stud mark on the Bosnian's thigh, but he should be able to continue.

MAN CITY SUB: Well, I'm sure he could continue, but Pellegrini is taking no risks as he brings Sergio Aguero on in Dzeko's place.

Wow, what an introduction that is! Just 23 seconds after coming on, Aguero surely wraps up the points for City with their third goal. The two subs combined as Jovetic slid a fine pass through for the Argentine, who took a touch before sliding it past Mignolet at the near post. Questions could be asked over Mignolet's positioning there, but it was a clinical finish from Aguero.

It must be said that this scoreline is harsh on Liverpool. They were marginally the better team in the first half an hour but had nothing to show for it, while City have been far more clinical when they have been on top.

The City fans are in party mood right now, and who can blame them? This will be a huge victory over one of their main title rivals, and it will set them up very nicely for the first few months of the season.

LIVERPOOL SUB: The visitors make their second change of the evening, and it is another new face who comes on. Emre Can replaces Joe Allen in the centre of midfield.

YELLOW CARD! That didn't take long! Can goes into the book just a minute after coming on for a block on Jovetic.

City are quite content to let Liverpool knock the ball around at the moment. The hosts are just sitting in, keeping their shape, and will look to break when they win the ball back.

LIVERPOOL SUB: A third change for the visitors, and a third summer signing enters the field. This time it is Rickie Lambert who comes on, replacing Sterling.

MAN CITY SUB: City respond with a change of their own as two-goal Jovetic makes way to be replaced by Fernandinho. This performance has certainly not done Jovetic's first-team chances any harm.

Liverpool have a goal back, and it is Rickie Lambert who has opened his account. Sturridge deserves a lot of the praise as he won the ball back in a dangerous position before sending a fine cross towards the back post with the outside of his boot. He just about squeezes the ball over the line, although goalline technology was needed to confirm it.

CHANCE! Big chance for Liverpool to get a second back! The ball bounces into the path of Lambert, who finds himself through on goal with only Hart to beat. The angle is slightly against him and he chooses to square the ball instead of going for goal, but Kompany is able to slide in and clear the danger. That could have made things very interesting!

LIVERPOOL DOWN TO 10! The visitors will have to finish this match with just 10 men as Johnson limps down the tunnel with an injury. Rodgers has already made all three subs, so there is nothing more he can do.

Another worrying sign for Liverpool here as Skrtel goes down following a challenge with Toure. He is not one to stay down easily, but he looks in real pain here and may need to go off as well. The visitors could be forced to finish this game with nine!

Skrtel is not moving well, but it looks like he will battle on until the end. There was a moment of optimism for Liverpool following their goal and Lambert's chance straight after, but with a numerical disadvantage and Skrtel carrying a knock as well they may be happy to get to the end of this one still at 3-1 now.

They're falling like flies! Moreno is the latest to go down in a heap, and this time there wasn't even a blue shirt near him. He rolled his ankle while controlling the ball and could be forced to go off as well. This is not looking good for Brendan Rodgers!

There will be five minutes of added time at the end of this match, but Liverpool will want the ref to blow his whistle now. Moreno is back on, but not moving freely.

Embarrassing play from Can as he throws himself to ground with one of the most blatant dives you will see all season. He almost went chasing after Zabaleta to manufacture a connection, but the Argentine dodged him and Can still fell to ground. Michael Oliver would have been well within his rights to book the sub there, and it would have been a second yellow.

City knock the ball about in the attacking third as Liverpool hang on and wait for the final whistle. Some lazy play from Markovic allows the hosts in behind, but Aguero can only fire his eventual effort into the side-netting.

Michael Oliver finally puts Liverpool out of their misery as City continue their 100% start to the season with a 3-1 victory over Liverpool. It was all fairly comfortable in the end, although it didn't look like being that way after the first half.

Stevan Jovetic pounced on a defensive error from the Reds to give City the lead shortly before the break, while he doubled his side's advantage and his personal tally after the break. Aguero then came on to seal the points, scoring just 23 seconds after replacing Dzeko. Liverpool did get on the scoresheet themselves through Rickie Lambert, but it was too little too late for last season's runners-up.

Right, that is all we have time for tonight! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was an absorbing match between last season's top two. City emerge 3-1 victors from the Etihad, while Liverpool ended the match with 10 men due to an injury to Glen Johnson. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!