Manchester City 0-0 Liverpool LIVE: Oxlade-Chamberlain on bench, Sergio Aguero starts

Manchester City v Liverpool: Express Sport brings you LIVE coverage from the Etihad Stadium

13: KDB charges forward but doesn’t have any options so tests Mignolet with a poke from 25 yards. It didn’t trouble the stopper. It didn’t trouble the stopper. Alexander-Arnold gets a ticking-off from referee Jonathan Moss after delaying his first four throw-ins.

10: End-to-end stuff as Manchester City win themselves a corner. There’s a bit of pushing and shoving in the area but it’s eventually cleared.

6: Kevin De Bruyne delivers an outswinging free-kick that Jesus glances wide of the post.

Wow, I’m genuinely shocked with how utterly terrible that challenge was. Otamendi has just clattered into Mo Salah and been dealt a yellow card for his troubles. 85 minutes against Liverpool on a booking? What could possibly go wrong…

All over the place that lad.

3: It didn’t take long for Manchester City fans to start signing the ‘Steve Gerrard, Gerrard’ song. Liverpool return with a ‘Manchester is full of s***’ chant. Charming stuff.

It does indeed look like Pep Guardiola is using Danilo as part of a back three to deal with the pace of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.

The Reds win an early corner, but Ederson claims it. Lively start.

1: MANCHESTER CITY 0-0 LIVERPOOL

We’re underway folks. Let the mayhem unfold… Incidentally, the sun is now shining over the Etihad. I’m going to stop with the weather updates now. I’ll leave that to Carol Kirkwood, or Nazaneen Ghaffar if you’re a Sky News kind of person.

12:29: Ok, the players are out there doing the handshakes, Klopp and Guardiola have done the usual hugs, it’s all too bloody friendly these days We’re almost ready.

Oh, I should mention that it’s absolutely pouring it down in Manchester today, but you probably already knew that.

12:27: BREAKING NEWS: Arsenal will lose transfer negotiator Dick Law at the end of the month as he has decided to step down from his role at the club.

Firstly, who on earth is he? Secondly, I wasn’t aware Arsenal had a transfer department…

TWITTER ROUND-UP

Tom: This game hinges on Alberto Moreno v Kyle Walker and Georginio Wijnaldum v Kevin De Bruyne battles. Whoever wins those will win the game.

Gary: Love that Jurgen Klopp is rotating and prioritising conditioning. Can’t wait for Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana to be back.

Gerald: Hope Klopp knows what he’s doing leaving Lovren and Coutinho out. Looking at the bigger picture, but I’d love a win today.

12:20: No sign of Mr Coutinho today folks.

The Brazilian has been left out of Liverpool’s squad with manager Jurgen Klopp saying he needs training time to make up for his disrupted pre-season.

Coutinho, who has not played for Liverpool so far this season due a back injury, submitted a transfer request after the club received and rejected bids for him from Barcelona during the transfer window.

“I had to make a decision. We now have seven games in the next three weeks,” Klopp said.

“I decided to leave him out for City. We can use this four or five days for real and proper training… He could have played 15-20 minutes for us again in the City game, maybe longer, but I think it makes sense.”

12:18: Just looking at my bank balance after yesterday’s trip to a terrible bar in Kensington. If the hangover wasn’t enough to make me feel sick, that’s certainly done the trick!

12:15: Jurgen Klopp isn’t the only manager making waves with his selection today.

A few eyebrows have been raised with Pep Guardiola’s decision to field three full-backs with Danilo starting alongside John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi at centre-back.

I guess that’s what happens when you spend £150million on full-backs.

12:10: Are you wondering why on earth Jurgen Klopp has decided to pick Ragnar Klavan ahead of Dejan Lovren? Here’s the man himself to explain the decision.

“Dejan played for Croatia last Saturday, 27 minutes on Sunday and then 90 minutes on Tuesday in a difficult game against Turkey. He didn’t come back injured but he felt the intensity a little bit,” Klopp said.

“Ragnar didn’t play Estonia’s second game, and he was outstanding against Palace. That is why we have the players.”

12:05: Here’s what Pep had to say about Sanchez, and a little extra (because I’m bloody nice like that) about Raheem Sterling, who was supposedly heading to the Emirates in part-exchange.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the wintertime or next season. He’s an Arsenal player,” Guardiola said.

“Of course we were interested in him (but) at the end Arsenal decided not to sell him. So, all the best for Alexis. They talked to me and I said, ‘No chance, zero chance, not one per cent chance to make a swap with Alexis and Raz’.

“He is 22, English. He has a lot to improve but I trust a lot in him. The only deal, if possible, was cash. We tried to make an offer. They accepted but in the end they could not sign the player they wanted to sign, so Alexis stayed in Arsenal.”

12:00: Oh boy, what have we done to deserve this treat?

Kolo Toure is in the Sky Sports studio to provide some analysis today. I’m half-expecting him to two foot Simon Thomas any moment now…

11:55: Well, there’s no Alexis Sanchez today folks.

After a whirlwind transfer deadline day, that featured Jim White shouting like the apocalypse was imminent, Sanchez remained an Arsenal player.

But for how long?

Well, Pep Guardiola does not yet know if City will revive their attempts to sign the Chilean superstar.

City had a £55million deadline-day bid for the Chile playmaker accepted last week but a move did not go through because the Gunners could not secure a replacement.

With Sanchez out of contract next summer it is thought City could move for the player again in January but Guardiola has now switched his focus away from player recruitment.

TWITTER ROUND-UP

John: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain realises his lifelong dream of not playing right back in London by sitting on a bench in Manchester.

Shafqat: Centre-back is the area we were lacking last season and haven’t strengthened at all. 3 at the back too. Massive loss incoming.

Sathya: Terrible from Roberto Martinez to play Kompany Vs Gibraltar. Why not rest him when he’s played every minute of the season?

11:45: The game is a big clash of top-four rivals and, if the corresponding fixture last season anything to go by, the pace could be unrelenting.

As the game goes on, however, it will be interesting to see if either feel they can ease up in any way, with midweek Champions League outings in mind.

City travel to Feyenoord while Liverpool host Sevilla. Both will want to get off to a confident start in their group campaigns.

11:40: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has also made three changes from the last-gasp victory over Bournemouth.

Raheem Sterling is sidelined after his ridiculous dismissal at the Vitality Stadium, Sergio Aguero replaces him.

Elsewhere John Stones and Kyle Walker come in for the injured Vincent Kompany and Bernardo Silva, who drops to the bench.

11:35: Right, let’s start with the visitors.

Jurgen Klopp has made three changes from the side who crushes Arsenal at Anfield a few weeks ago.

Simon Mignolet returns in place of Loris Karius, while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ragnar Klavan replace Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez, who are named on the bench.

11:30: As promised, here’s the starting XI’s.

Manchester City XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Danilo, Mendy, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Silva, Jesus, Aguero.

Subs: Bravo, Foden, Mangala, Sane, Gundogan, Delph, Bernardo.

Liverpool XI: Mignolet, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Klavan, Moreno, Henderson, Can, Wijnaldum, Salah, Mane, Firmino.

Subs: Karius, Lovren, Gomez, Milner, Chamberlain, Sturridge, Solanke.

11:28: That team news will be filtering in any moment now. I’ll bring it your way ASAP, but don’t expect to see that pesky Philippe Coutinho’s name anywhere…

11:25: I’ll expand on that theory now. I would have done it before but I’m still a little rattled after spending last night a fancy bar in Kensington where I needed a second mortgage to buy a tiny/tasteless bottle of larger. More on that later.

The vast array of attacking talent available to each side allied to the defensive frailties that still linger in both camps means it should be an entertaining watch, while Klopp v Guardiola promises much.

But there is an unexpected sub-text at play, namely that City have won just one of the last seven Premier League meetings between the sides. Under these managers, Liverpool won at Anfield and drew 1-1 on the road last season.

11:20: We can forget about the international break (that I’m apparently obsessed with) for another few weeks because the Premier League is back!

And what a belter we’re starting off with.

Manchester City host Liverpool in an eagerly-anticipated clash at the Etihad.

Defence is the weak link for both sides, but there’s no such problems going forward given the philosophies of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp. Expect goals. Lots of goals. Mega-goalage.

11:15: Goooood mooooorning folks, welcome to our LIVE coverage of Manchester City v Liverpool from the Etihad Stadium.

I’ll start by congratulating everyone for making it through another terrible and uninspiring international break.

It was very much the usual 14 days of boredom.

England laboured to a 4-0 victory over the mighty Malta, edged past Slovakia at an empty Wembley and there was a storm in a teacup when Dele Alli flipped Kyle Walker the bird.

Standard stuff.

PREVIEW

MANCHESTER CITY TEAM NEWS

Manchester City will be without captain Vincent Kompany for today’s Premier League clash with Liverpool after he suffered a calf injury on international duty with Belgium.

Former Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling is suspended but right-back Kyle Walker is available again after his one-match ban.

Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is back in contention after returning to full training following his long-term knee injury.

LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS

Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho will not be in the squad.

A back injury meant the Brazil international’s first competitive action of the season was 47 minutes in two games for his country over the last week and Klopp does not think he is ready, but deadline-day signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be included.

Right-back Nathaniel Clyne is set for an extended spell on the sidelines with a back injury while Adam Lallana (thigh) is still working on his recovery.

PROVISIONAL SQUADS

Manchester City squad: Ederson, Bravo, Walker, Danilo, Mendy, Otamendi, Stones, Adarabioyo, Mangala, Toure, Delph, Gundogan, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, D Silva, B Silva, Sane, Diaz, Foden, Aguero, Jesus.

Liverpool squad: Mignolet, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Matip, Moreno, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Can, Salah, Firmino, Mane, Karius, Gomez, Klavan, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Grujic, Sturridge, Solanke.

HISTORY

Last season: Man City 1 Liverpool 1, Liverpool 1 Man City 0

Last five league matches: Man City W W W D W; Liverpool W W D W W

Top scorers(all competitions): Raheem Sterling (Man City) 2; Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane & Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) 3