McMahon: City could be two good for Reds

In a blink of an eye, January has come and gone, and while it will be some time before the real winners and losers of the transfer window emerge, it already looks as though Reds boss Brendan Rodgers pulled off a clever bit of business by signing Sturridge from Chelsea.

Although he possesses all the qualities to be one of England's leading forwards, the 23-year-old had to play second fiddle to a misfiring Fernando Torres and was often deployed out of position in a wide role.

Five games into his Anfield career, Sturridge has already hit the net three times and shown signs of forming a deadly partnership with Suarez, although that shouldn't come as a surprise given both are quality players.

One only has to shift their attention to Old Trafford to see how quality players often find a way to strike up an understanding, and Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie have made a mockery of concerns that they are too similar to play alongside one another, firing Manchester United to the top of the table.

I have long been an advocate of teams playing with two strikers, especially in games they are expected to win, and it still amazes me why teams like Chelsea and Arsenal persist in playing with a solitary man up front.

Torres and Demba Ba, Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott - partnerships that could cause real problems to opposition defences, if only they had the chance to prove they could work.

It usually takes a while for two strikers to understand each other's game, and while Suarez and Sturridge have managed to do that in an astoundingly short span of time, it may not be the best tactic to use against Roberto Mancini's men on Sunday.

In games like this, managers have to box clever and given City's ability to dominate games with their midfield superiority, it may be wisest for Rodgers to pack the midfield with five men and let Suarez do his magic up front on his own.

Speaking of strikers, City now only have three in their first-team ranks after Mario Balotelli completed a move back to Serie A with AC Milan, and already many are claiming this could be a huge blow to their title prospects.

I find this quite remarkable given Mancini still has Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko to call upon. If anything, Balotelli's departure could have a good effect given the problems he had been causing off the pitch.

Even in their two Argentineans and one Bosnian, the Citizens have enough firepower to challenge for the title, despite United's seven-point lead.

Importantly for City, especially after their 0-0 draw at QPR, they have to get back to winning ways at the Etihad this weekend. And based on what we've seen in recent weeks, it is likely that Mancini will opt for two of his three strikers, even if Aguero or Tevez has to play in a wider-than-usual position.

What the Citizens have working for them is that their midfielders are good enough to seize control in the middle of the park and let their forward run riot in the attacking third.

At the moment, the same cannot be said for Liverpool and should Rodgers indeed opt to go with a dual strike force, it could play straight into Mancini's hands.

If that does happen, City could just be two good for Liverpool.

Steve McMahon's Premier League Predictions

Man City vs Liverpool

Both teams come into this game looking to bounce back from disappointing draws in midweek, but at the moment, City still look the stronger side on paper.

With Sergio Aguero back from injury and Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko both looking lively, I'm expecting the Citizens to make the most of their home advantage and claim all three points.

Prediction: 2-0 (Halftime: 1-0)

Fulham vs Man United

United are starting to go on a bit of a run, which has always been a key feature of their title-winning campaigns.

Wednesday's 2-1 win over Southampton was far from pretty but they got the job done in the end. Against an inconsistent Fulham side, it's hard to foresee anything other than another victory for Sir Alex Ferguson's charges.

Prediction: 1-3 (Halftime: 0-1)

QPR vs Norwich

Prediction: 2-0 (Halftime: 1-0)

Arsenal vs Stoke

Prediction: 2-0 (Halftime: 1-0)

Everton vs Aston Villa

Prediction: 3-0 (Halftime: 1-0)

Newcastle vs Chelsea

Prediction: 1-2 (Halftime: 1-1)

Reading vs Sunderland

Prediction: 1-1 (Halftime: 0-0)

West Ham vs Swansea

Prediction: 1-1 (Halftime: 1-0)

Wigan vs Southampton

Prediction: 1-0 (Halftime: 0-0)

West Brom vs Tottenham

Prediction: 1-1 (Halftime: 1-0)