-0.05 points a game is the venue form gap, in Manchester City's favour: Liverpool takes 1.81 a game at home over the last two seasons, Manchester City 1.86 away.
Liverpool: 43 league matches in the bank, 5 from this season and the rest from last season. Manchester City: 43 league matches in the bank, 5 from this season and the rest from last season.
The question this step asks
Step two is HOME AND AWAY FORM -- the home side judged on its home record, the away side on its away record, because those are the records that will be on the pitch. The last five reach back into last season where this season is too young to answer, and say so.
The two sides
Liverpool -- at home
Its record at the relevant venue
This season at home: won 0, drew 2, lost 0 of 2, scoring 2 and conceding 2. Last season at home: won 10, drew 6, lost 3 of 19, scoring 34 and conceding 20 -- 1.89 points a game.
Its last five league matches
Newest first: beat AFC Bournemouth 1-0 away; drew with Fulham 0-0 at home; beat Ipswich Town 2-0 away; drew with Nottingham Forest 2-2 at home; drew with Newcastle United 2-2 away.
The dugout
The banked record belongs to the club, not one man: 2 different managers took its 43 matches with one recorded (38, 5 apiece), most recently Andoni Iraola Sagarna with 5. Who picks the team today is not yet recorded this season, so a summer change of manager would not show in these figures.
Manchester City -- away
Its record at the relevant venue
This season away: won 2, drew 0, lost 0 of 2, scoring 5 and conceding 1. Last season away: won 9, drew 6, lost 4 of 19, scoring 32 and conceding 21 -- 1.74 points a game.
Its last five league matches
Newest first: beat Sunderland 5-3 at home; beat Manchester United 1-0 away; beat Coventry City 1-0 at home; beat Crystal Palace 4-1 away; beat AFC Bournemouth 2-1 at home.
The dugout
The banked record belongs to the club, not one man: 3 different managers took its 43 matches with one recorded (37, 5, 1 apiece), most recently Enzo Maresca with 5. Who picks the team today is not yet recorded this season, so a summer change of manager would not show in these figures.
Built 14:36 from matches completed before
kick-off. Every figure is an observed count with its denominator —
not a forecast, and nothing here is a tip or a selection.