Man City 1 Liverpool 1
This was the game everyone had been looking forward to. The two sides who have dominated the Premier League in recent seasons, going head-to-head, with Guardiola’s side looking to make it 24 consecutive wins at home in all competitions.
Alisson was to gift Man City the first chance of the game as he miskicked the ball straight to Foden. He controlled the ball, turned onto his left foot and shot but he got it all wrong as he drilled it straight at the keeper to save his blushes.
Arguably one of the best keepers in world football right now, if he does have one weakness, he can be prone to going all Frank Spencer when the ball is at his feet. On other times though, his passing can be sublime.
As Liverpool’s defence remained solid, they started to grow in confidence. Matip strode out of defence into attack before laying the ball out wide to Salah. His cross was met by the head of Nunez but his glancing header was well saved by Ederson.
Credit: @ManCity
Doku was causing problems for the visitors down the left wing and when he found Bernardo Silva, the Portuguese playmaker tried to make something happen. On this occasion, Curtis Jones mopped up but then played a bizarre backpass to the keeper.
Haaland almost embarrassed the Brazilian but he managed to hack the ball out wide before the Norwegian could get a telling touch. It does make you wonder at times, if Curtis Jones wasn’t Scouse, he would probably be playing in the Championship.
Foden tried a shot from the edge of the box but it was an easy save for Alisson. As he looked to find Salah who was in acres of space, he slipped and ballooned the ball in the air. Ake controlled it and glided past The Reds’ midfield.
The defender then picked out Haaland in space, who took one touch before drilling a low shot past the Liverpool keeper. The Etihad erupted as they got the lead over their big rivals. You could see how much it meant as Pep Guardiola fist-pumped the air.
Phil Foden almost doubled the lead as he cut onto his left foot outside the box and shot for the bottom corner. Alisson got down well to tip the ball around the post. There is no doubting the Brazilian’s shot-stopping capabilities.
As Liverpool chased the game in the second half, the move broke down and City came forward on the counter-attack. Alvarez found Doku in space and he returned the favour, only to see the Argentinian scoop his shot over the bar.
Credit: @LFC
Alvarez was starting to make things tick for Man City, playing in a deeper midfield position. He found himself in space in the middle of the park once again and fed it to Doku out wide. He beat Alexander-Arnold and crossed into the danger area but Gravenberch cleared it for a corner.
The corner was whipped under the crossbar and Alisson seemed to spill it, as Dias swept it home at the back post. Liverpool were saved as the referee blew up for a foul on the keeper. VAR reviewed it and agreed with the referee’s decision.
Looking at the replay, Akanji does lean into the keeper slightly which did affect his ability to catch the cross. It all about perspectives though. Some may say it was a soft decision but it is now a fact of the modern game that you can no longer put pressure on the keeper.
Jurgen Klopp’s side started to play some nice football and as it was worked to Salah, he spotted the run of Nunez, whose first-time shot was well saved by Ederson at the near post. Then came the big moment of the game.
Man City cleared the corner and broke at pace, Doku got to the byline and crossed to find Haaland at the near post. As he got a shot away it deflected off the Liverpool defender and Alisson made a brilliant save with his feet to deny the hosts a second goal.
Gravenberch brought the ball out and fed it to Luis Diaz out wide. As he cut back onto his right foot, he clipped a ball looking for Gakpo but it deflected out wide and was picked up by Salah. The Egyptian spotted the movement of Alexander-Arnold.
On the edge of the box, he took one touch to get it under control and immediately got a shot away which nestled into the bottom corner of the goal. The Etihad fell silent apart from the away end who erupted in celebration.
Trent Alexander-Arnold ran in front of the Man City fans, stood there with his finger on his lips. The home fans saluted him with so many v-signs it was like the war in Europe had ended once again. Klopp’s side had made the hosts pay for failing to find a second goal.
Man City piled on the pressure, trying to find a winner. Alisson fell to the ground holding his hamstring until he realised that they had used all their substitutions. As a corner came in, Haaland met it with a header but it fell agonisingly just wide of the far post.
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