Pore over all of the best pre-match facts and figures ahead of Liverpool's trip to Manchester City on Boxing Day, courtesy of club statistician Ged Rea - including why we should be guaranteed goals at the Etihad Stadium.

No team has scored more away goals in the Barclays Premier League this season than Liverpool's 17 while City have scored 10 more home goals (35) than the next best team (Liverpool).

Last season, both meetings ended in 2-2 draws. At the Etihad, Edin Dzeko gave City the lead with Daniel Sturridge equalising before half-time. Steven Gerrard gave the Reds the lead on 73 minutes, with Sergio Aguero levelling matters within five minutes.

In the earlier Anfield clash, Liverpool twice led through Martin Skrtel and Luis Suarez but City hit back each time through Yaya Toure and Carlos Tevez.

The Reds have lost only four of the last 26 league meetings home and away between the sides, and just six of the last 41. At Eastlands, Liverpool have won two, drawn five and lost three.

This fixture in Manchester has produced nine draws in the last 16 league meetings, with three of the last seven failing to produce a goal. That is the most draws for Liverpool at any club in the Premier League.

The Reds are two goals short of recording 50 against City in the Premier League.

The last Liverpool man to score a hat-trick against City was Michael Owen in September 2002 at Maine Road. That is the only occasion a Reds player has achieved the feat against City in Manchester.

 

Skrtel's first league goal came against City in a 2-2 Anfield draw in November 2009. He scored against the Citizens in another 2-2 draw at Anfield last season.

Jon Flanagan made his Liverpool debut against City at Anfield in a 3-0 win in April 2011.

Kolo Toure played 82 times in the league for City, scoring twice in his four seasons at the Etihad.

Suarez has scored 10 goals in his last four games for the Reds and has failed to score in only one of his last seven.

The Uruguayan requires one goal to become the first Liverpool player to score 20 league goals in a top-flight campaign before the New Year since Jack Balmer netted 20 in 1946-47. Roger Hunt scored 23 in the Second Division in 1961-62.

Since the start of last season, Suarez has scored 49 goals in 57 games for the Reds in all competitions and 42 in 45 league appearances.

Raheem Sterling has scored in three of his last four Liverpool games.

At this stage of last season, Liverpool had not been in the top half of the table at any time. This campaign has seen them out of the top six for only two days, while they have spent four separate periods at the top of the table.

The Reds have won their last four league games since losing at Hull. The last time they recorded five league victories in a row in the same season was in May 2009.

Liverpool had scored 23 goals after 17 games of the league campaign last season. At the same stage of this campaign they have 42 - their best for 35 years since scoring 42 in the opening 17 games in 1978-79.

Liverpool have lost just three times on Boxing Day in the last 27 years, the last being at Stoke City last season.

City have scored eight times in the last three league meetings at the Etihad.

City have won 16 and lost one of their last 18 league games at home. They drew with Liverpool and lost to Norwich City on the final day of last season.

They have won eight out of eight in front of their home crowd, with only Hull conceding less than three back in August.

City are currently on a run of scoring in each of their last 58 home games in the league since Birmingham City shut them out in a goalless draw in November 2010.

City have scored 35 goals in their eight home league games this season, with 22 coming in the last four.

In their last eight league games home and away they have scored 30 times, while their season tally of 79 goals in all competitions is comfortably the best by any team in England.

They have found the net within the first 17 minutes in seven of their eight home league games this season.

They have not kept a clean sheet in their last six games in all competitions but they are unbeaten in the last nine games in league and cup, with eight wins and a draw since losing 1-0 at Sunderland.

Joe Hart is set to play back-to-back league games for the first time in two months.