This week's Monday Night Football places last seasons league champions against the eventual runners up, so how do LFC beat the mega-rich Manchester City?
There is of course no formula for beating any team, football is played on an unpredictable pitch and not on paper. Liverpool - Manchester City will however provide a series of mini battles that will be key to victory, games within a game if you will - but what are these fundamental components to putting together a victory against the sky blues this Monday evening?
The diamond
If there was one thing to be taken from the opening day of the season, it was that a Gerrard-Lucas pivot does not work and likely never will. A lack of legs and defensive know-how in midfield saw Jose Fonte (of all people) gallop through the LFC midfield, while James Ward-Prowse looked like Messi for an afternoon.
The lack of Liverpool midfield went relatively unpunished against the Saints; this certainly will not be the case against the likes of Yaya Toure, Fernando & Fernandinho - a formidable midfield set up. In order to combat the presence that City will undoubtedly bring, Rodgers may choose to revert to a diamond and thus increase midfield presence. With the Balotelli deal not yet complete, LFC would likely pair Raheem Sterling with Daniel Sturridge as the striking duo and therefore a midfield of Coutinho, Henderson, Can or Allen & Gerrard could be played - physicality and energy to counteract the driving force that is Manchester City's midfield.
The diamond certainly seems the way to go in order to maintain some control of the tempo and protect the back-four on Monday night.
Fullbacks
While the diamond will bring some more control to the side, it'll also restrict the offensive width of the team; this is where fullbacks become critical.
Reds fans will be hoping that Alberto Moreno makes his Liverpool debut after the paperwork was not completed in time to face Southampton & that Javier Manquillo continues his impressive start to life at Liverpool FC - of course these two starting is based on the assumption that Glen Johnson will be dropped, however that is an assumption made by many.
The young Spaniards are both, undoubtedly, the best option for the club and could prove to be fundamental to any potential success this season - against City on Monday night their influence will be pivotal.
Moreno and Manquillo will have to compensate for the lack of width that a diamond causes. Overlapping the attack, thus dragging opposition defenders out of position and therefore creating space for the attackers will be key to build up play and transition. Both fullbacks will also have to bring a 'physical output' to the table by delivering that final ball once they've got themselves into the aforementioned position and competent passing in order to contribute to the neat and tidy build up play that Rodgers craves. Moreno and Manquillo will also constantly have to make themselves available for the Gerrard cross-field diagonal ball that is so often used to stretch opposition and subsequently catch them on the break - there's a lot for both to do!
Defensively, fullbacks will also be key to success - the Manchester sky blues. With the abundance of creativity that City posses, the likes of David Silva and Nasri will need to be stifled. Blocking the pinpoint accurate crosses we will no doubt witness from City's creative outlets will be necessary to protecting the central defensive pairing and hopefully restricting the City striking duo. Physicality will also be needed, the City magicians will want to cut inside and contribute to the shot tally - this needs to be stopped.
The Liverpool fullbacks will have a lot of work to get through against City, their input and output could sway the result.
No fear
You can't 'think' how to beat a team, and Liverpool certainly shouldn't attempt to do so!
Attacking fluidity and a no fear attitude became synonymous with Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool last season and that should not be lost regardless of who the opponent is.
Liverpool will certainly have to deal with City, but City will have to deal with Liverpool and that is noon get an easy task. Markovic should play some part and that will add depth and further flexibility to the current costless flowing crop - if the midfield allow the attack to be fluid, we are in for an exciting contest. Coutinho will have to be magic in his creativity, Sterling fearless in his running and Sturridge clinical - this is a concoction we have witnessed in full flow, it will have to be potent once again.
It must be remembered that this is not a season definer but only the second fixture of the term; however, it would be naive to think that the psychological aspect of last seasons runners up vs. last seasons champions is not significant. Let the games begin!