100 up for Masch?

Javier Mascherano is set to make his 100th Barclays Premier League appearance when Liverpool take on Manchester City at Eastlands tonight. Here’s the rest of the stats and figures.

League Record: (Head to head)

Overall: Liverpool 74 wins, Man City 37 wins, 37 draws.

At Man. City: Liverpool 29 wins, Man City 24 wins, 21 draws.

A victory today will give Liverpool their 2,000^th in league history and their 350^th in the Premier League.

Last season (February) the teams played out a goalless draw at the City of Manchester Stadium.

The Reds clean sheet that day ended City’s run of scoring in 21 successive league games at home – their longest run for 52 years.

It was the Reds seventh visit to Eastlands. They have won two, drawn four and lost one.

Rush: We can beat City

Ian Rush insists there is no reason why Liverpool can’t take all three points in Monday night’s clash with Manchester City at Eastlands. The Kop idol believes this is a good time to face City and is confident Roy Hodgson’s new-look side can make a big impression this season. Speaking exclusively to LFC TV during his visit to Nairobi in Kenya as part of the first ever Standard Chartered-sponsored LFC Soccer Clinic in Africa, Rush said: “I watched City’s first game against Tottenham last week and Spurs could have been at least 3-0 up at half-time, but they came back into the game in the second half.

“I’m sure Mancini will be telling his team they have to start well against Liverpool with it being their first home game, but I just think this is a good time for us to play Manchester City. “I can see them being hit and miss this season and after watching the Arsenal game we seemed well organised and we always seem to do well away at City. “I think this game will go a long way to showing us what is going to happen this season because I believe this year when Liverpool play the so-called lesser clubs we will win those games, unlike last season. “It’s when we play the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and City that could decide if we can finish in the top-four this season.”

Roy happy with debutant

Roy Hodgson has declared himself very satisfied with the debut of Christian Poulsen during Thursday’s 1-0 win over Trabzonspor in the Europa League Play-off at Anfield.  Liverpool’s No.28 played the full 90 minutes and grew in stature as the game went on. He even had a goal controversially disallowed at the Kop end. The Reds boss believes he has made a great addition to his squad and claims the Danish international will give his team a great presence.

“Christian was very good I thought, considering he has hardly played since the World Cup,” Hodgson told Liverpoolfc.tv. “He took a lot of responsibility and was always looking to play the ball forward. “It was nice that the Kop could see that we’ve added a quality player to our ranks and we will need him during the course of the season alongside the other great players we have.”

Premier League Preview: Manchester City – Liverpool

City Hope To Open Account

‘Super Mario’ came to Manchester City’s rescue on Thursday night in Romania, but there wasn’t a single moustachioed, red-dungaree-sporting plumber in sight. It was Mario Balotelli, City’s latest big money striker, who came off the bench against Timisoara to save his new team the slight embarrassment of returning to England without a first leg advantage in the Europa League.

It took 72 minutes for Roberto Mancini’s side to break the deadlock on Thursday and before that, 90 had passed without a goal at White Hart Lane against Tottenham Hotspur. At this early stage of the season one goal from two games is hardly drought material but, given the money spent by Mancini in the summer, it wont be long before critics are asking questions of the Italian’s acquisitions.

Skrtel signs new Anfield deal

Martin Skrtel today celebrated signing a two-year extension to his Anfield contract and insisted: “We are good enough to win trophies”. The Reds’ Slovakian defender had two years remaining on his current deal, but has now put pen to paper on a new agreement which will keep him on Merseyside until at least 2014. “I’m very pleased,” he told Liverpoolfc.tv. “I have been at Liverpool for nearly three years and I really like it here. I like the city, I like the club and I like the fans so I’m happy I am able to sign a new contract. “Liverpool is one of the biggest clubs in the world so I am proud I can play here for four more years.”

Signed for a bargain £6 million in January 2008, Skrtel has established himself as a regular in the Liverpool side, with his no-nonsense style of defending endearing him to the Anfield crowd. “Before I came here a lot of people thought I wasn”t good enough to play for Liverpool, but I think I have shown I am,” he added.