Liverpool vs Manchester City
Liverpool and Manchester City in recent times has been the equivalent of Real Madrid and Barcelona a decade ago. The two sides never fail to impress the viewers and provided yet another masterpiece last night.
Manchester City visited Liverpool to a full-packed, roaring Anfield. It was Liverpool’s first match at Anfield in four games, having to travel in the previous three fixtures.
Despite the fan support and their usual dominance in Anfield, it was City who took the game to Liverpool. Pep Guardiola’s men having played Chelsea last weekend and PSG in midweek, showed no signs of slowing down. They started the game briskly with tight precise passing and were able to come out of Liverpool’s press pretty easily.
Phil Foden was a thorn to the Liverpool back-line all game. The young English star tormented James Milner on the right side of the defense as the host missed their right-back, Alexander Arnold, due to injury.
James Milner had to resort to fouls to keep Foden from getting behind. Manchester City overloaded the left side, targeting Milner in the first half. The 35-year-old got his booking after a challenge on Foden. Manchester City had the best chance in the first half, but De Bruyne headed a clear chance over the cross-bar. If the first half was calm then the second half was the storm to come.
Second Half
Liverpool started in the second half with intensity. The reds were aggressive in their attempt to win the second ball and forced Manchester City into mistakes. 13 minutes into the second half, Mohamed Salah skipped past Cancelo and released Sadio Mane in behind the City defense, which until that moment had conceded just two goals in the league. Sadio Mane made no mistake in putting the Reds in front. However, City returned Liverpool their favor as they delivered a punch of their own, as Gabriel Jesus set off from the right-hand side of the attack and ventured through to the center, beating multiple pressure from Liverpool players and released Phil Foden on the far side. The young English man, a perennial thorn for Liverpool on the night, stabbed home his side’s equalizer. The shot from Foden was so precise it just got into the goal.
Salah magic
The game was becoming more and more an end-to-end contest as both teams rallied back and forth in search of a leading goal. Liverpool got their second goal thanks to Mohamed Salah’s wicked left foot. The Egyptian nonchalantly carried the ball past every city player he came across and for sure scored the goal of the season so far. The City defense had been undone by two wicked left-footed geniuses in the same week as Leo Messi scored against them in midweek.
It was Salah’s ninth goal in nine appearances for Liverpool this season. However, the home side’s jubilation lasted only for a little while as Kevin De Bruyne canceled his side’s arrears with a deflected effort.
The last part of the game was as end to end as ever and was a treat to watch for a neutral football fan. However, fans of both sides surely would have had pounding hearts until the final whistle was blown.
Klopp and Guardiola played out yet another masterpiece for football to enjoy.
The result being a draw means Chelsea will finish the round on top of the table this weekend.
