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Posts Tagged ‘carlos-tevez’

• Manager begins to lose patience with absent striker
• Argentinian’s premature baby ‘no longer in danger’

Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City manager, last night expressed his ­growing frustration about Carlos Tevez’s self‑imposed absence from the team, abandoning the sympathy that he had ­previously shown towards the club’s leading scorer to suggest that he is running out of patience.

Mancini was speaking after City and Liverpool played out a dull 0‑0 draw that does little for either club’s ambitions to win a qualifying place for next season’s Champions League. The result sees City drop to fifth and Liverpool sixth as Spurs later overtook them to go into fourth spot with a 3-0 victory at Wigan.

Tevez has missed City’s last three games after flying to Buenos Aires ­following the premature birth of his second ­daughter, Katie. Mancini has not been able to speak

This is a fixture with the potential to reinforce the impression that there are changes afoot in the make-up of the elite, with Manchester City intent on breaking into the top four. There is, however, a lot of work still to be done by a team that has drawn five Premier League games in a row after winning five of their first six. Conversely, Liverpool have players like Steven Gerrard and Alberto Aquilani nearing full fitness and the side is just three points short of fourth place despite their unconvincing recent run of form. Kevin McCarra

Venue Anfield

Tickets Sold out

Last season Liverpool 1 Manchester City 1

Referee P Dowd

This season’s matches 10 Y36, R4, 4.00 cards per game

sportingbet odds Liverpool 9-10 Man City 13-5 Draw 12-5

Liverpool

Subs from Cavalieri, Aquilani, Kyrgiakos, Babel, Skrtel, Voronin, Spearing, Plessis, Riera, Dossena, Ayala, El Zhar

Doubtful Agger (back), Benayoun (hamstring), Gerrard (groin), Johnson (calf), Riera (hamstring)

Injured Aurélio (calf, 29 Nov), Kelly (ankle, 29 Nov), Torres (hernia, 29 Nov)

Suspended Degen (second of three)

Form guide DLWLLW

Disciplinary record Y14 R1

Leading scorer Torres 10

Manchester City

Subs from Taylor, Richards, Onuoha, Johnson, Robinho, Santa Cruz, Garrido, Sylvinho, Benjani, Tevez, Kompany, Weiss

Doubtful Barry (groin), Bellamy (knee), Robinho (ankle)

Injured Petrov (knee, Dec)

Suspended None

Form guide DDDDDW

Disciplinary record Y14 R1

Leading scorer Bellamy 5

Match pointers

• Manchester City have won just four of 25 Premier League away games with Mark Hughes as manager

• Liverpool have won six of their last eight home encounters with City – all by a one-goal margin

• If this match finishes level City will be only one short of equalling the Premier League record of seven consecutive draws

• Liverpool have not failed to score in a home match with City since August 1986

• Carlos Tevez will make his 100th Premier League appearance if selected

Premier LeagueLiverpoolManchester Cityguardian.co.uk