Man. City on Title race
Watch Man city vs Liverpool Highlights as Guardiola’s side scores 4-1 win over Liverpool, and clears five points in the points table at Etihad stadium.
Man. City put pressure on Arsenal on Title race as they chase them on the points table.
Man city vs Liverpool Highlights
Pep Guardiola‘s title challenge looked to be hanging by a thread when Mohamed Salah gave the away side an early lead but Julian Alvarez equalised before second-half goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish saw City surge to victory.
The win narrowed the gap on Arsenal to five points at the full-time whistle and offered a timely reminder that Guardiola’s team remain a potent force even without their top scorer Erling Haaland, who was watching – and cheering – his team-mates from the stands.
Manchester City started brightly, controlling possession with John Stones alongside Rodri in midfield, but Liverpool’s threat on the counter-attack was obvious. Salah was ruthless in exposing the City defence with a fine finish after Diogo Jota sprung the offside trap.
Salah was through again soon after but it proved to be the pivotal moment in the match. Grealish intercepted his centre and was back down the other end moments later providing the assist for Alvarez’s equaliser, the culmination of a sumptuous City move.
It was a big moment for the Argentine, taking responsibility for leading the line in Haaland’s absence, and it felt like a big moment in the title race too.
These two teams have so often been contesting that title in recent seasons, but Liverpool’s struggles did not take the edge off this one – duels between Grealish and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Manuel Akanji and Jordan Henderson, adding to the sense of occasion.
Unfortunately for Liverpool, their form does not match that competitive spirit and the game soon went away from them in the second half. It took De Bruyne just 53 seconds to put City in front after Alvarez found Mahrez in space out wide with a brilliant pass.
Alvarez was involved in the third too, his left-footed shot blocked near the line by Alexander-Arnold but only as far as Gundogan. The skipper had enough time to pick his spot and ease the tension around the Etihad Stadium. City never relinquished control.
Guardiola on post match interview
“When we conceded the goal, we were playing really well. Of course, they are always a threat in the transitions, but we played really well in all departments. It was one of our best performances in these seven years.
“The players knew were weren’t playing badly [when we went 1-0 down]. We adjusted our process a little bit at half-time. Of course we were lucky to score the second goal, but the game was so stable during 93 minutes.”
Jurgen Klopp on Post match interview
“Everyone could see the first half was OK, not only the result,” said Klopp in his press conference after the game. “City had more possession but that always happens when we play here and we scored a wonderful goal, could have scored a second one in a really good counter-attack.
“Then, I would say this situation was rather unlucky, Kevin De Bruyne gets a touch, [the ball] rolls through Robbo’s legs and then 1-1. You come out of half-time, a ball in midfield, not even a challenge, we are too deep. If you are too deep, too passive they use that, so that is 2-1.
“The 3-1 super quick, after we have three or four one-on-one situations and we don’t make a challenge and you saw what happened, we were not there, anyone, too passive, too open, too deep, too far away from anything.
“Four performances were OK, the two midfielders, Hendo and Fab, worked a lot, Cody and Ali, and that is very difficult. If you want to get something here, 14 or 15 players have to be on top of their game and that was not the case.
“We had a situation for 3-2 when Robbo broke through but apart from that City could do what they wanted because the spaces were too big so we were lucky they only scored one more.”
