Match Report: Man City 3 - 0 LiverpooL

Manchester City flexed their enormous muscles at Eastlands to delight the man who made it all possible and deliver their biggest beating of Liverpool since 1937.

Sheikh Mansour could not have picked a better night to watch the team he has spent £1billion on in a league game for the first time.

With James Milner enjoying an outstanding debut, City were far too good for a Liverpool side who have a week to get themselves into some sort of shape given Javier Mascherano's absence seems like the next step in a big-money move to Barcelona.

Milner set up Gareth Barry for City's opener before Carlos Tevez claimed to have got a touch to Micah Richards' goalbound header just after half-time.

A brilliant double save from Joe Hart snuffed out any chance of a revival before Tevez sent Pepe Reina the wrong way from the spot after Martin Skrtel had fouled Adam Johnson.

It capped a performance that proves City have the credentials and the talent to win the biggest prize they can this season, if manager Roberto Mancini can keep his vast squad happy.

Had he so wished, Manchester City's immensely rich owner could have had his pre-match meal at the new 'City Square' on Joe Mercer Way, part of the £20million stadium revamp that has taken place since he took control from the discredited former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Rather more costly were the players he has helped assemble.

Nine of them were part of Roberto Mancini's starting line-up - Richards and Hart the two exceptions - a sign of the revolution that has taken place in the past two years.

Long-standing City fans are still pinching themselves at having the opportunity to watch the likes of Yaya Toure and Tevez.

But down the years, they have taken a huge amount of pride in their academy, which has produced so many first-team players, Richards among them.

The level City is operating at now means continuing that work is going to be tough. Instead, pleasure has to be derived in different ways.

So to have the stamp "Made in England" embossed on their first Premier League goal of the season was an achievement to be noted.

That the goal came about because of a momentary failure from Steven Gerrard just brought added poignancy.

Johnson spotted Milner advancing just beyond the Liverpool skipper and found him with a smart pass.

Milner delivered the perfect cut-back into an area he hoped a team-mate had filled.

Barry obliged and did the business from 10 yards with a neat side-footed finish.

It was the high point of a one-sided first-half.

Tevez and Johnson both found the side-netting from an acute angle. Johnson had earlier driven a fierce shot wide and Milner's running was intelligent and incisive.

Liverpool could certainly not have complained if they had been further adrift.

Roy Hodgson's men struggled to retain any source of possession, which just confirmed the gaping hole Mascherano will leave should he get his wish to start another phase of his career away from Anfield.

Liverpool appear too deficient in too many areas for Hodgson to waste much time persuading someone intent on leaving that his future remains on Merseyside.

In a meagre first-half, the visitors created just a single chance, which the returning Fernando Torres set up for Gerrard, who wasted it.

The only time Liverpool got any nearer after half-time was in the flurry of activity that followed Gerrard's explosive free-kick that thudded against the post.

Hart was beaten on that occasion but not when David Ngog had a go.

England's new number one palmed that away, straight into Torres' path. It seemed a certain goal but Hart stood firm again, repelling the Spain striker with a magnificent save with his left hand.

That this all came after a second City goal, which Tevez claimed even though any touch to a Richards header from Milner's corner was so faint as to render it impossible to spot.

Reina could not keep it out anyway.

Nor did the goalkeeper do any better when Tevez sent him the wrong way from the spot after Johnson had been fouled by Skrtel.

All summer, the football talk around these two clubs has centered around breaking into that top four.

On this evidence, only City are capable of that. And, thanks to Sheikh Mansour's largesse, they are capable of much more besides too.

Roy Hodgson Rues Defensive Display

Roy Hodgson was left to rue his side’s defensive display in Monday night’s crushing 3-0 defeat at Manchester City.

“We defended poorly for the goals and they took their chances when we defended poorly,” Hodgson said.

“I thought Man City played solidly and strongly throughout. They were strong physically and took charge.

“We were always fighting to get back into it and sometimes you have to accept that on the night we weren’t able to produce the level performance necessary to get a good result.

“But I didn’t think we were under the cost to the extent that 3-0 might suggest.

“We were a little bit unlucky with that wonderful double save from Joe Hart that we didn’t get back into the game at 2-0.

“You are talking about two teams of similar level. We were playing away from home tonight and Manchester City played well.”

Hodgson handed Fernando Torres his first start of the season following the groin injury he suffered in the World Cup final.

The Spaniard was denied by a stunning save from Hart and Hodgson admits he’s still searching for match fitness.

“Torres still has a way to go but we knew that,” he added. “He is still in the middle of a preparation period.”

Roy Hodgson Admits He Does Not Want To Sell Javier Mascherano After Manchester City Humbling

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson still hopes to keep Javier Mascherano at the club after the midfielder was left out of the club's 3-0 loss to Manchester City.

The Argentina international was not included in the squad and not present at Eastlands as Hodgson revealed prior to the game that his mind "isn't right" following speculation linking him with a move to Barcelona.

But Hodgson still wants to keep Mascherano on Merseyside, and hinted offers for the player are thus far below the club's valuation of one of their most prized assets.

"It'll get resolved as quick as it can get resolved, I would like Mascherano to stay, that's my wish, that's my hope," he told Sky Sports.

"We don't want to sell him, certainly we don't want to sell him for the type of fee that's being suggested at the moment.

"I'm hoping, maybe hoping against hope, but still hoping that Javier Mascherano will still play for us because he's such a good player and he'll make us into a better team."

One player definitely staying with the club for another season is Fernando Torres, who made his first start of the season in the disappointing away defeat.

Hodgson admitted the Spain striker is far from full fitness currently, and believes the best is yet to come from him.

He said: "We are forcing him [Torres] back into action earlier than we would have liked.

"He showed moments of what he's capable of but of course he's way below the type of performance he'd want to give and we know he can give, but we've got that to come."

On the game itself, in which Liverpool succumbed to two Carlos Tevez goals and a strike from Gareth Barry who nearly joined the club before settling for City, Hodgson felt his side did not deserve to lose by such a wide margin.

"I thought we were a little unlucky to get beaten so heavily," he said. "I don't think we really deserved to get beat by three goals.

"Pepe Reina wasn't called into action that often, I thought we had one or two good spells in the game and we played against a very strong and effective Manchester City side and of course they scored the goals at the right time.

"The second goal from the corner made it an uphill task for us. [Joe] Hart made that incredible double save, at 2-1 it might have put some more life back in the game.

"In the end of course we paid the price for conceding the penalty...and there's not much else to say but to congratulate Manchester City on a good performance and a good win.

"I thought we lacked the cutting edge in the box. I thought we passed the ball around quite well, I thought we lacked the cutting edge and unfortunately we lacked the organization I would have liked to prevent them getting through us down that left-hand side."

Despite the demoralizing defeat, the former Fulham boss insisted it is too early in the new Premier League season to start reading his players the riot act.

Muntari Rejects Reds Swap Deal

According to reports in the Italian press, Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari has rejected the opportunity to move to Liverpool despite the reigning European champions offering the Ghanaian international in part exchange for Duch international Dirk Kuyt.

While speculation in the British tabloids has suggested that Roy Hodgson is unwilling to sell Kuyt, it appears that former boss Rafael Benitez has not given up hope of doing a deal for the versatile attack-minded midfielder and has come up with a variety of plausible deals to tempt the Reds into selling.

25-year-old Muntari had initially been dangled as bait in an attempt to appeal to Liverpool’s midfield squad shortage. However, the former Udinese and Porstmouth man still feels he has unfinished business at the San Siro having struggled to hold down a first team place under Jose Mourinho.

It is believed that Inter are now ready to offer approximately £8 million in cash for Kuyt although the Anfield hierarchy are eager to hold out for a fee in excess of £10 million. Last week the World Cup star’s representative Rob Jansen hinted that he was indeed considering his future on Merseyside with the prospect of testing himself in Italy obviously inviting.

Kuyt’s current contract sees him tied to Liverpool until the end of next season, although unlike Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard has yet to publically confirm his desire to stay at Anfield.

Lille Full-Back Mathieu Debuchy Coveted By Liverpool

Lille are bracing themselves for an approach from Liverpool over full-back Mathieu Debuchy, L’Equipe reports.

Reds boss Roy Hodgson apparently feels that his defence is lacking competition on the right hand side and he sees Debuchy as the kind of player who would act as a good back-up to Glen Johnson.

At 25-years-old, the Fretin-born player has never featured for any club side other than les Dogues, whom he joined when he was only eight. Debuchy’s development has been impressive, however, and he can frequently be found as a useful attacking outlet down the right flank, with his start to this campaign particularly bright.

Often going unheralded, Debuchy received recognition for his efforts earlier this month when Laurent Blanc called him into the France squad to face Norway, though he would not get an opportunity to showcase his talents in a side deprived of all of its World Cup stars.

Debuchy’s contract expires in 2012, but Liverpool is expected to make an official approach in the coming days.

Juventus With €16.5M Alberto Aquilani Option

Alberto Aquilani is set to complete the final stage of his medical at Juventus today and it has emerged that the Turin club have an option to purchase the Italian in their loan agreement with Liverpool.

The 26-year-old will, as expected, have his wages paid by Juventus. However, should the Old Lady be happy with Aquilani’s impact then they will be able to send €16.5M over to Anfield to make the deal permanent.

Aquilani’s arrival at Juventus has been greeted with delight amongst the club’s fans and the former Roma midfielder remains rated, when fit, as one of the finest in all Italy. For Aquilani the loan is a chance to push his way back into the Azzurri picture and also convince Juventus to make the move permanent.

With Liverpool set to lose Javier Mascherano before the transfer window slams shut, the decision to offload such a highly rated midfielder on loan will surely be the subject of further scrutiny before the season is out.

Liverpool Want €30m Cash For Javier Mascherano

Liverpool have told Barcelona that they want £24.5 (€30) million in cash for Javier Mascherano after rejecting the Spanish club’s opening player exchange offer.

Despite reports that Barca’s opening bid was £12m, Goal.com UK understands that the Primera Division champions offered £18.8m plus Aliaksandr Hleb for the 26-year-old Argentine.

But Liverpool is adamant that they do not want a player-plus-cash deal and will only consider a straight cash offer for the midfielder.

Barcelona are expected to return with a second, improved bid in the next 48 hours as they close in on a transfer that they hope to complete by the end of the week. It is understood that the player has already agreed personal terms with the Catalan giants.

Liverpool sources say the club accepts that Mascherano has played his last game for the Merseysiders – the 1-1 draw against Arsenal eight days ago – and appreciate that the player’s value will only diminish if he is held at Anfield against his will until January or next summer.

The Argentina captain told Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson that he did not feel his mind was right to figure in Liverpool’s Premier League match at Manchester City.

Manager Roy Hodgson said before the game: “He's not here because obviously there is some speculation about his future and at the moment his mind isn't right, so it wasn't correct to select him.

"Hopefully matters will get resolved, certainly before the end of the transfer window and I'll have a chance to pick him again, but Monday night would not have been a good time to select him."

Hleb has been offered as a makeweight in the deal after failing to make an impression at the Nou Camp following his switch from Arsenal two summers ago.

The Belarus international was told last month that he has no future under Barca coach Pep Guardiola after spending last season on loan with VfB Stuttgart.

'Roy Hodgson Biased Toward English Players,' Blasts Chris Mavinga

Liverpool youngster Chris Mavinga has expressed his disappointment at his lack of opportunities he is being given by Roy Hodgson and says he wants to leave the club.

"I am disappointed. I thought that with the success [of France's Under 19s Championship triumph] and my performances there I would be given the opportunity to train with the first team and play parts of games," the 19-year-old French defender told France Football.

"But a new coach arrived. Roy Hodgson, who replaced Rafael Benitez, and he is changing the organization of the club, trying to encourage English players at the expense of foreigners, unlike his predecessor. He clearly stated he wants to remake Liverpool as an English club. You already feel it in the reserves, although it's a choice, we must respect."

Mavinga said he tried to talks to Hodgson about the situation, but to no avail.

"Yes, I spoke with him briefly, but he did not say much," he said. "The problem is that there are too many players training with the first-team squad, 28! So, while Rafael Benitez allowed me to train with the pros during the second half of last season, I have now returned to the reserves."

"I am disappointed and angry. So I want to leave, why can't they loan me out? I love this club, but if the situation requires me to go, I will."

"I'm not asking to get straight into the first-team. I just want a fair opportunity to train with them," he continued. "I hope to find another club."

However, Mavinga vowed to continue to work hard even if he doesn't secure a move away from Anfield.

"It's difficult, given the market situation. In addition, Liverpool are not keen on loaning me out. If I don't leave this summer, I hope I can do it in January," he said. "But I will not stop working even if I stay with the reserves. I want to reach a good level."

Roy Hodgson Wants Money To Spend

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has confirmed he would like funds to strengthen his squad.

The Merseysiders have been busy in the transfer market this summer with Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen, Brad Jones, Danny Wilson, Milan Jovanovic, and Jonjo Shelvey all joining.

However, the ex-Fulham boss knows that with just one week left before the transfer window closes, the time left to strengthen is not the best period in which to splash the cash.

Hodgson does not believe he has fully assessed the talent and potential in the club's squad and academy and is against making a big-name signing if they already have a gem ready to be unearthed.

"I'd like some money to spend if I could research where that money could be spent wisely," said Hodgson.

"Giving me a lot now and telling me to go out and buy some players with one week of the transfer window left would not be particularly advantageous.

"I've only been here for five weeks or so and I'd want to make sure I had assessed absolutely everyone, including those at the academy, just in case we have an outstanding 17-year-old.

"We might have a Javier Hernandez there so I don't want to go out and spend £50million on buying another one."

Liverpool To Make Ambitious £4m Move For Serie A Veteran Goal Machine

Roy Hodgson will look to secure a deal to bring Juventus forward David Trezeguet to Anfield and hopes that deals that brought Alberto Aquilani to Turin and Christian Poulsen to Merseyside will help in potential negotiations for the 32 year old former French international to the club.

The veteran forward is set to be nothing more than a squad player in the coming season under new boss Luigi Delneri and Hodgson will at first be looking to seal a deal to bring the former Monaco man on a loan deal which could be just what the Serie A side is looking for as they look to trim their squad due to the rapid addition of new faces at the club.

If a loan offer fails he could pick up the ageing front man for a relatively small fee with his valuation appearing to be somewhere in the region of £4-6m.

In his decade plus at the Italian giants Trezeguet has netted 170 times but has found himself increasingly surplus to requirements behind the likes of Amauri, Alessando Del Piero and Vincenzo Iaquinta.

Hodgson is looking to bring in new attacking options before the transfer window closes and he may persuade the Frenchman to take one last challenge before he hangs up his boots.

Liverpool 'Face Competition From Italy Over Roque Santa Cruz Transfer'

Roque Santa Cruz will leave Manchester City before the end of the transfer window, but after Liverpool expressed an interest in the striker last week it seems they now face competition from Lazio and Fiorentina.

The Paraguayan is surplus to requirements at Eastlands, and looks set to be excluded from Roberto Mancini's 25-man squad - especially after their signing of Mario Balotelli from Inter Milan.

Roy Hodgson is keen to add another striker to his squad as back-up for injury-prone Fernando Torres, and is thought to have made a preliminary approach for Santa Cruz.

However, in light of the interest from the Reds, both Lazio and Fiorentina from Serie A - as well as Werder Bremen from Germany - are rumoured to have joined the race.

Santa Cruz has said he is happy to remain at City for the foreseeable future, but that could change if he is left out of the streamlined squad for the opening six months of the Premier League season.

West Ham is another club who are said to have made an enquiry about the 29-year-old's availability, but so far City are yet to open formal talks over a transfer fee.

Liverpool Reject €20 Million Javier Mascherano Bid From Barcelona

Barcelona have reportedly tabled a bid of around €20 million for wantaway Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano but it has been rejected by the Merseysiders according to radio station RAC1.

Over the weekend Reds coach Roy Hodgson intimated that he was informed by Massimo Moratti that there would be no approach from Inter for the Argentina captain but it appears that the Catalan outfit is still in the race to prise the 26-year-old away from Anfield.

The offer tabled by the Blaugrana is believed to be an initial €15 million payment with a further €5 million in variables but Liverpool are understood to have placed a value of €26 million on Mascherano. Hodgson has already gone on record as stating that the defensive midfielder is aware that he will not be leaving the club if an appropriate fee is not received.

Despite Hodgson already declaring that 'Masch' would be in contention to feature against fellow title hopefuls Manchester City on Monday night, AS has claimed that he will not play at Eastlands as talks between the clubs continue.

Liverpool Tell Inter Dirk Kuyt Is Not For Sale

Liverpool are reportedly in line to keep striker Dirk Kuyt, and also hope to ward off interest in Javier Mascherano despite a recent bid from Barcelona.

The Dutch forward had previously claimed that the Merseyside club had received a fax from Inter, amidst heavy speculation that the hitman could leave the Reds to reunite with former boss Rafael Benitez.

However, the Daily Mail reports that Liverpool have officially told the Italian club that Kuyt is not for sale.

Liverpool Loanee Alberto Aquilani Has Juventus Title Ambitions

Speaking as he begins his loan spell from Liverpool, Alberto Aquilani said that he believes Juventus could win the Serie A title.

The 25-year-old attacking midfielder moved to Juventus towards the end of last week after Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson advised him to get some regular first-team football in Italy as he doesn't feature in his Anfield plans for now.

Just before he underwent a Juventus medical, Aquilani said, “I am happy to be here."

Referring to fellow newcomer Milos Krasic, Aquilani continued, “Juve are a team worthy of the Scudetto. We hope to do well together with Krasic.

“I have returned to Italy to get a place in the national team again.

“I will meet Del Neri tomorrow. He convinced me to come and no other club came looking for me.”

Aquilani played for Liverpool against Rabotnicki and it is unclear whether he will therefore be able to represent Juventus in the Europa League this season.

Jovanovic Still Settling In

Milan Jovanovic is hoping Liverpool supporters will be patient with him as he settles in at Anfield.

The Serbia international moved to Merseyside over the summer and has been thrown straight into the action by Reds boss Roy Hodgson.

He has not looked out of place so far, but feels there is still much more to come from him in the near future.

Jovanovic knows it will take time to acclimatize to a new country and a new way of life, but he is confident it will not take long for him to hit top gear.

He is taking inspiration from the gradual progress made by his fellow countrymen, Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic and Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic, and hopes he will soon be following in their illustrious footsteps.

"I maybe need to be stronger and think more quickly to fit in," Jovanovic told The Independent.

"It will take time and it has happened to all the players from my country who have come to England. It happened to Branislav Ivanovic and it happened to Vidic. For the first six months they hardly played any games.

"I have to prepare for that and be at my best as quickly as possible. But I have come here having already played against English teams so I know what to expect."

Jovanovic is determined to make a name for himself in English football, as he accepts that few Premier League supporters will know much about him.

He does have UEFA Champions League experience from his time at Standard Liege, and graced this summer's World Cup finals, but appreciates that his career path has kept him out of the limelight.

"I am not sure if people in England know of my performances," Jovanovic added.

"That's normal because I played in the Belgian League and English people aren't going to find that interesting. It is only a small competition but Liege played in the Champions League and the Europa League and were very successful. We beat Everton and, if I doubted my ability, I would never have come here."

Wolves Owner Steve Morgan Tips 'Special Purchaser' To Rebuild Liverpool FC

Steve Morgan believes that Liverpool require a 'special purchaser' to rebuild the club.

Hong Kong-based businessman Kenny Huang officially withdrew his interest in buying Tom Hicks and George Gillett's shares on Friday after growing impatient at the pace at which chairman Martin Broughton and the board were conducting the sale process.

Morgan, a former Anfield shareholder, attempted to buy the club in 2004 before he became owner of Wolverhampton Wanderers and believes that Liverpool require a wealthy investor who is willing to provide funding so that they can once again challenge for major honours.

Redrow magnate Morgan, 57, also hit out at the Americans for acquiring David Moores' majority stakeholding through a leveraged buyout, which has seen Liverpool's debts rise to well over £351million, and claims this is an improper way for any football club to be run.

"I don't think you can buy any football club on leverage. You can't gear up like you can in a manufacturing or a property company. It just doesn't work that way," he said.

"The players and agents' wage demands these days mean that there's very little left over after you've paid for the running of the club.

"There certainly isn't the money there to service hugely leveraged debt - and that's the mistake not only Liverpool have made.

"To take over Liverpool now, you need very deep pockets.

"The amount of people with those deep pockets is limited, and them being prepared to invest in Liverpool, knowing that they have go to build to get it back even remotely in contention again, in addition to the stadium issue, is going to need quite a special purchaser to come in."

Morgan attempted to extend his 5% share in Liverpool six years ago in a bid to trump former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who went on to briefly own Manchester City, and maintains that he would have ensured that the club remained debt-free.

He added: "It's difficult to rewrite history but the circumstances were different.

"The deal that we almost had with David Moores was a combination of paying some money out to buy shares off him, but the bulk of the investment was going into the club.

"At the time, the debt wasn't huge so the investment going into the club would have cleared all the debt off so Liverpool would have been debt-free.

"Had it happened, it would have been a very different history that we'd be looking back on now, but the one thing for sure is that there wouldn't have been any debt."

Premier League Preview: Manchester City vs Liverpool

'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 won’t be long before critics are asking questions of the Italian's acquisitions.

Mancini has conceded it could take a few weeks for City's star-studded line-up to gel and become a genuine force to be reckoned with in the Premier League, but the former Inter boss will be hoping to set the wheels in motion with a victory at Eastlands on Monday.

It has been a week of ups and downs for Liverpool; on the pitch they carried the momentum of a draw with Arsenal on the opening day into a midweek Europa League meeting with Trabzonspor where they came out on top thanks to a solitary goal from Ryan Babel, though a one-goal lead could prove difficult to hold on to with the notorious Turkish crowd breathing down their necks.

Joe Cole misses the trip to Eastlands and missed a penalty on Thursday night to round off a disappointing week for him, while Chinese businessman Kenny Huang pulled out of a takeover that would have seen the club free of the ownership of Tom Hicks and George Gillett, and Alberto Aquilani will be in Italy on Monday ahead of a loan move to Juventus.

Two players who look likely to stay with the club are Javier Mascherano and Dirk Kuyt, though. Both had been linked with moves to Inter, but manager Roy Hodgson believes the European champions will not move for the pair. It is a massive boost for the Reds, who will be keen to prove the City revolution will not prevent them from returning to the top four, and what better way to do that than with a win on Monday night?

TEAM NEWS

Manchester City

James Milner could make his debut for City after completing his switch from Aston Villa this week, but fellow summer signings Aleksandar Kolarov and Jerome Boateng are injured, while Wayne Bridge is also a doubt.

Mario Balotelli looks likely to recover from the knee problem that saw him limping after his first appearance against Timisoara in midweek and could start.

Possible Starting XI: Hart; Richards, Kolo Toure, Kompany, Zabaleta; Yaya Toure, De Jong; Milner; Tevez, Balotelli, Silva.

Liverpool

Roy Hodgson rested a host of first team players on Thursday, many of whom are likely to return to the starting line-up, including Javier Mascherano, who could return after a calf injury. Daniel Agger, however, is struggling with concussion.

Fernando Torres may also get his first start of the season after appearing as a second half substitute against Arsenal and Trabzonspor. Joe Cole begins a three-game suspension after his red card against the Gunners.

Possible Starting XI: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio; Mascherano, Poulsen; Kuyt, Gerrard, Jovanovic; Torres.

Silva Fears Torres Impact

David Silva is concerned about the damage Fernando Torres could do to Manchester City on Monday at Eastlands.

The former Valencia forward has played alongside Torres on numerous occasions for Spain.

They were both part of the squad that helped the nation win the World Cup in South Africa after an extra-time victory against Holland.

Since then Silva has joined the City revolution and is due to come face-to face with Torres when Liverpool visit in the Barclays Premier League.

Torres must be hoping his fitness worries are behind him. He injured his thigh in the World Cup final after needing two knee operations during the season.

Yet the striker still managed to finish with 22 goals in 32 games in all competitions for his club, who finished a disappointing seventh in the table.

And Silva is worried that Torres, who came off the bench in the draw against Arsenal on Sunday, is getting his sharpness back and may be ready to make City suffer.

"I would rather play with Torres than against him,” Silva told Sky Sports' Barclays Premier League preview show.

"We all know that Fernando is a very good player. At any moment he can win the match."

Silva has started in City's first two games. He helped the team beat Timisoara 1-0 in the Europa League play-off first leg match on Thursday.

That victory came on the back of a goalless draw with Champions League contenders Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

Silva has a special reason for seeking success against Liverpool and added: "I want to win as it is the first home game. I hope we will start well."

Roy Hodgson Targets PSV Star Carlos Salcido If He Fails To Land Fulham's Paul Konchesky

According to The News of the World, the Anfield boss remains hopeful of signing the Fulham left-back but has the Mexican international lined up as an alternative.

Salcido, 30, has been capped 77 times for his country and has also won the Dutch Eredivisie title twice since moving to Holland from Mexican side Guadalajara in 2006.

The Mexican stalwart featured heavily in this summer's World Cup, helping his country to the last 16 before they were eliminated by Argentina.

Hodgson continues to search for a left-back despite re-signing Fabio Aurelio last week, following his decision to play Daniel Agger out of position to fill the breach last weekend against Arsenal.

Inter Make £15 Million Move For Liverpool Striker Dirk Kuyt

Inter and former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is ready to bid £15 million to prise Dutch forward Dirk Kuyt away from Anfield.

According to The Sunday Mail, Liverpool remain adamant that Kuyt is not for sale, and manager Roy Hodgson stated earlier this week that he believed Inter president Massimo Moratti would not be bidding for any of his players.

However, Kuyt has been told that the Merseysiders received a fax from Inter on Thursday night following their Europa League clash with Trabzonspor and now has the option of moving to Milan to be reunited with his former boss.

He was reported to have told a newspaper in Holland yesterday: "On Thursday night, during the Europa League game against Trabzonspor, the board of Liverpool informed me officially that they have received a fax from Inter. You can call this a luxury situation for me."

Inter are understood to have offered a cash-plus-player exchange deal for Kuyt which was rejected, but it is reported that a cash-only bid would be enough for Liverpool to change their stance on the Dutchman.