Betfair Official Blog

Revered through the season's first half - it now seems inevitable that Sven Goran Eriksson will leave Eastlands next weekend, potentially having delivered their best-ever Premiership finish. Even the Manchester City fans are surprised by this one, despite winning only five of their last 19 games, but it seems their 20-minute capitulation to Fulham last weekend, became the straw that broke the camel's back.

Rafa Benitez might take note. Under-delivering again domestically, Liverpool's exit from the Champions League this week removes his only remaining defence - and will no doubt put the spotlight back on the strained relationship with his own employers.

That said, Liverpool are in a strong vein of League form. Only Chelsea have had a more productive last eight games - and the Reds will equal their best-ever sequence of home wins (in the same season) should they complete their eighth consecutive Anfield victory here. Indeed, three of these wins have been over other top-half non-Big Four teams (Blackburn, Everton and West Ham) - part of a very strong Liverpool record under Benitez against such opposition, unbeaten in 30 games overall and winning 23, 13 by at least two goals.

Man City's loss to Fulham was their third in five games - and on top of their current problems, they won't relish coming to a part of the world where they've had very little joy over the last few years. They've lost seven of their last eight League games on Merseyside and all of their last four at Anfield; all seven of these defeats by the odd goal (last four 0-1; previous three 1-2).

Indeed, Man City's memorial-spoiling win at Manchester United this season belies a similarly poor record away to the Big Four over recent times, losing all of the previous nine, seven without scoring - and five by at least two goals. Besides the extraordinary 78 goals at White Hart Lane this season, Anfield has been the league's most productive ground, yielding 55 strikes at over three goals a game. Caution is advised though; since Benitez took charge, 26 of Liverpool's 42 games against top-half non-Big Four teams at Anfield have produced two goals or fewer. Man City have been losing at half-time in 14 out of 24 (58%) matches away at the Big Four since 2002/03 - and have managed to improve their position on only two occasions - both draws at Manchester United.

Under Benitez, the Reds have held on to 91% (53/58) of their half-time leads in the league (33/36 at Anfield).

	Liverpool				Head to Head		Man City
	Last 5 home	Last 19 home	Last 38 all	Last 5 v opp A form	L'pool home	L'pool all	Last 5 away	Last 19 away	Last 38 all	Last 5 v opp H form
Played	5	19	38	5	5	10	5	19	38	5
Av Match YC	3.0	3.4	3.1	4.0	2.6	2.4	2.2	3.2	2.7	2.4
Match RC	0	1	5	1	2	2	1	5	7	1
Av Team YC	0.6	1.1	1.2	0.6	1.0	1.3	1.2	1.7	1.4	1.4
Team RC	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	3	1
Av Opp YC	2.4	2.3	1.9	3.4	1.6	1.1	1.0	1.4	1.3	1.0
Opp RC	0	1	4	1	2	2	1	3	4	0
Av Match FG	25	30	40	34	43	58	59	40	35	48
Av Team FG	27	37	48	38	43	61	69	59	51	68
Av Opp FG	73	66	69	70	70	74	73	53	52	67
Av Match Cnrs	13.8	9.3	9.7	12.4	11.2	10.6	13.2	10.7	10.4	11.8
Av Team Cnrs	10.2	6.8	6.4	7.6	8.4	6.8	5.6	4.3	4.3	3.6
Av Opp Cnrs	3.6	2.5	3.3	4.8	2.8	3.8	7.6	6.4	6.2	8.2