Saturday 21 November 2015 16:48, UK
Can Liverpool's top tackler halt a back-in-form Yaya Toure? We take a look at the stats ahead of Saturday Night Football...
Two Premier League heavyweights go head-to-head in this weekend's Saturday Night Football fixture, with both Manchester City and Liverpool hoping their midfield comes out on top in the battle for supremacy.
Key players in that battle will be City's Yaya Toure and Liverpool's Lucas Leiva.
Much of the blame for City's stuttering campaign last season fell on Toure for his perceived drop-off in effectiveness compared to their title-winning season of 2013/14.
However, so far this campaign, Toure seems to have rediscovered his true form and helped his team to the top of the table.
While a return of just two goals in the Premier League is far from spectacular, it is not for the want of trying - Toure has had 35 attempts this season. Philippe Coutinho is the only midfielder who has had more with 52.
However, it is in the category of creating goals where the 32-year-old has stepped up this term. Toure has four Premier League assists this season - he only managed one in the whole of 2014/15. Only David Silva has more assists for Man City in this campaign (six).
Toure has also attempted 662 passes in the Premier League this season, completing 576 of those - Fernandinho is the only Man City player with more in both areas (788 and 702).
Another player who has enjoyed an impressive start to the season is Liverpool's Lucas. The Brazilian was seemingly on his way out of Anfield in the summer but has turned things around and started Liverpool's last 10 Premier League games.
No player has attempted more tackles in the Premier League this season than Lucas (55) and only Crystal Palace's Yohan Cabaye has won more - 40 to Lucas' 39.
Liverpool will have to be at their defensive best against Man City, who have scored 19 goals in their six Premier League home games this season, and Lucas is not afraid to put in the hard yards to keep the opposition out - only James Milner and Nathaniel Clyne have covered more distance per game for Liverpool this season.
Liverpool's current longest-serving player has covered over a kilometre more per game than Yaya Toure (9.2km).
Man City will go into Saturday's game as favourites but if Lucas can win his individual battle with Toure, then Liverpool's record of not winning at Man City since 2008 could change.
