Man City vs Liverpool LIVE commentary and team news: Premier League giants clash in Carabao Cup as holders look to continue title defense – kick-off time and how to listen on talkSPORT

Manchester City host holders Liverpool in the Carabao Cup fourth round and all the action will be live on talkSPORT.

Premier League clubs are returning to action just days after the end of the World Cup to relaunch their domestic campaigns.

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Jurgen Klopp’s side will be aiming to defend their title and will now face a tough task after beating League One Derby County on penalties to qualify.

Man City have already overcome a challenge by knocking out Chelsea in the third round thanks to goals from Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez.

Man City vs Liverpool: talkSPORT coverage

This Carabao Cup fourth round match will be played on Thursday, December 22.

Kick-off at the Etihad Stadium is scheduled for 8 p.m.

talkSPORT will have live coverage of the huge clash, presented by Hugh Woozencroft.

Commentary will be provided by Joe Shennan and former Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam.

To tune into talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 via the website, click HERE for the live stream.

You can also listen through the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

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Man City vs Liverpool: team news

Man City will likely have midfielders Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan all available after their first World Cup outings.

Erling Haaland should lead the line and could be even more dangerous after a month out.

Julian Alvarez is highly unlikely to be involved as he is in the World Cup final four days earlier.

Liverpool will be without Luis Diaz for another three months after being forced to undergo surgery.

However, they are expected to have many key players back in action for the game with only Ibrahima Konate still in action in Qatar.

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Man City vs Liverpool: what was said?

After the draw more than a month ago, Liverpool boss Klopp explained what kind of team he could choose, with the game coming just after the World Cup.

He said: “The thing is, we have a pre-season [training camp] before that game, so the players will be involved, definitely involved, hopefully fit enough and stuff like that, and have a pre-season. I think it’s similar with City.

“City certainly have more players at the World Cup than us. So we have to see who is available. That’s always the case: player availability and that sort of thing.

“We will come back from our training camp [and] I will then make the decision around the match.

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Man City vs Liverpool: Facts of the game

• No team has been involved in more League Cup penalty kicks than Liverpool (15), with the Reds’ last two games in the competition settled by this method.
• It’s the first time Man City have faced the League Cup holders since 2011-12, when they beat Birmingham City 2-0 in the third round. The only time they faced Liverpool as starters in the competition was a 4-0 defeat in October 1995.
• Liverpool have kept a clean sheet in seven of their last eight League Cup matches, including each of the last four in a row. Only once have they gone five clean sheets in the competition, doing so between February and October 1984.
• Man City were knocked out by West Ham at this stage of the League Cup last season, last failing to reach the quarter-finals in back-to-back campaigns between 2001-02 and 2006-07.
• Liverpool have won just one of their last seven away matches against Man City in all competitions (D3 L3), 2-1 in the Champions League in April 2018.
• Manchester City have won just one of their seven League Cup matches against Liverpool (D3 L3), winning 3-2 in the third round in 1969-70. However, the last such meeting between the sides was in the 2016 final, with the Citizens winning 3-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.