Liverpool Extend Their Lead In The Premier League With A Win Against Manchester City

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Liverpool has been on the top spot for quite some time after a Arsenal loss at the weekend, it is likely to remain the same till the end of the season.

Liverpool won their PL match against Man City and went clear at the top with 11 points. This win has more or less cemented Liverpool’s position at the top and it would only take a major collapse from Liverpool to derail from their title charge.              

Man City Form

It has been a disappointing season for Man City as they have been caught defensively this season many times and offensively they haven’t been clinical as they have been in the past. This lackluster display of form has caused them to crash out of the Champions League in the Play-offs for the Round of 16. 

Their Premier League form has also not been great as they found themselves at the 4th place with not much gap between teams who are fighting for European spots. 

How Important Is This Liverpool’s Win?

Liverpool had dropped some crucial points in matches prior to this match which made this tie even more important in Liverpool’s title charge. A win was a must for Liverpool as Arsenal had dropped points and it was necessary for Liverpool to stretch the gap between them to create a breathable lead on the Gunners. 

This win comes as a respite for Arne Slot who can now focus on Champions League as they are going to face the in-form PSG who come into Round of 16 with a thumping win over Brest. This match is a pick among the Champions League fixtures as this match can swing in any direction and would be an interesting one to watch. 

Liverpool vs Man City

The match started with City’s positive intent on the ball and Jeremy Doku taking on Alexander-Arnold. The first 10-15 minutes were very good from City’s perspective as they kept good possession and were looking dangerous on the ball. Liverpool were happy to sit back and work their way out. 

After 10 minutes into the game, Liverpool gained control of the ball and the midfield came into play. In the 14th minute, Liverpool scored a magnificent goal through Mohammed Salah, who made the training ground routine look easy as Liverpool took the lead over City against the run of play. 

After that goal Liverpool grew into the game with the trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Dominic Szoboszlai and Alexis MacAllister started seeing more of the ball. City domination fizzled out as the porousness of the midfield and defence kept growing through repetitive mistakes. Liverpool started attacking and pressing with aggression as they saw more gaps in the defence. The 2nd goal came through an excellent pass to Mohammed Salah who assisted Szoboszlai for his 6th goal of the season. 

The 2nd half was a battle of the midfield as most of the passing and interception was carried out in the middle part of the pitch, City were trying to break the Liverpool defence but were unable to do so. Liverpool’s plan was to defend and break into counters whenever they got the chance. The 2nd runners from behind the City’s defence proved a problem for Pep Guardiola as they were continuously breaking down the defence shape. A disallowed goal for Callum Jones came in the same manner when Szoboszlai was found from a darting run into the penalty box. 

This Win for Liverpool marks a statement in the Premier League that they are in a League of their own and the loss for Pep Guardiola has raised more concerns over City’s abysmal season and also to the injury- laden squad.

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