Alvaro Negredo’s seventh goal in nine home matches saw Manchester City defeat Liverpool to move into second in the Premier League.

Negredo capped a devastating counterattack in first-half injury time with a shot which Simon Mignolet could only palm into his own net after Vincent Kompany had cancelled out Coutinho’s opener.

Jordan Henderson’s backheel was saved by Joe Hart and Raheem Sterling missed an open goal as Liverpool pressed for an equaliser after the break, but City held on for a big win.

More to follow…

Manuel Pellegrini’s side have won all eight of their home league games, including scoring six against both Arsenal and Tottenham, and the Reds boss thinks it is their title to lose

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists his side have “no fear” about facing Manchester City, despite describing the title as Manuel Pellegrini’s to lose.

Last season’s runners-up are the only team to boast a 100 per cent record at home after eight games – scoring a staggering 35 goals in the process after notching six against both Tottenham and Arsenal.

But Rodgers, whose side are top heading into the Boxing Day clash, says his squad have confidence in themselves and will look for all three points away at a title rival.

“We arrive there with no fear,” Rodgers is quoted as saying by The Guardian.

“We outplayed Manchester City last year, home and away. We had two draws and we should have won both games but we will go there with every respect for them. I believe with the squad they have, it is their title to lose.

“We will go there and be aggressive and to press the football. We had 23 shots on goal against Cardiff. They will have seen from Cardiff and from Tottenham [who Liverpool beat 5-0], that we can score goals.”

Rodgers is refusing to get carried away with Liverpool being top at Christmas for the first time since 2008-09 as he is aware that three of the past four times the club boasted such an advantage they ended the season empty-handed.

“I always think that every team has the chance to win the Premier League,” he said.

“The Premier League is not only Liverpool and Manchester City. Tottenham will continue fighting. Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton are playing good football and will fight for the title until the end.”

The Portuguese took exception with Mikel Arteta’s view that “Chelsea only wanted to defend” against the Gunners, while he hinted that Liverpool are only top due to their schedule

Jose Mourinho has described Arsenal as “boring” following Monday’s 0-0 draw with Chelsea, before hinting that Liverpool are only top as they are not competing in Europe.

Gunners vice-captain Mikel Arteta said after the game that “Chelsea only wanted to defend and we wanted to win”, with home supporters chanting ‘Boring, boring Chelsea’ as the visitors left the field of play.

Arsenal registered just two shots on target during the Emirates Stadium clash – half the Blues’ total at the other end – and Mourinho feels the accusations of negative tactics are being directed towards the wrong club.

Mourinho is quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror: “They called us boring – but I think boring is a team that plays at home and cannot score a goal. That’s boring!

“Because you go to your stadium and you fill your stadium, in weather like we had on Monday, to see victories.

“There is not a home fan in any club in the world who goes to the stadium and expects his team not to score or win. If any team was boring, they were boring because Petr Cech made zero saves.

“It is not a coincidence that before the Arsenal game we had time to work, a whole week, which we haven’t had since the summer. I had three days to work tactically, on everything I wanted to work on.

Before adding, hinting at Liverpool less hectic schedule: “I worked on everything because it was a special week for us. It was the kind of week Liverpool has every week.”