Liverpool level twice to keep title race alive but it’s advantage Manchester City after 2-2 draw
It’s advantage Manchester City in their EPL title race against Liverpool, though the Reds levelled twice at Etihad Stadium for a 2-2 draw that keeps the run home on a knife edge.
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Advantage Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s champions went relentlessly for the win here at a raucous Etihad but the draw suits City more than Liverpool, keeping them a point clear and with the more negotiable run-in. The real winners were a packed Etihad and a huge global audience who were treated to a magnificent Premier League match full of touches of class.
Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus, City’s goalscorers, were both superb while Jordan Henderson typically gave everything for Liverpool until tiring. The opening was breathless, starting with a De Bruyne goal, and the pace rarely dipped, lending style and substance to all the pre-match hype. City were first to show.
Brimming with pace and intensity, Guardiola’s players tore into Liverpool, doing to the visitors what Jürgen Klopp’s side so often do to others. Liverpool needed all their resilience to emerge with a point. Because City harried Liverpool, pressing them, pushing them back and even Virgil van Dijk looked uncomfortable at times. De Bruyne raced from midfield to press Alisson, setting the early tone. Quick pressing, quick free kicks, quick transition and quick thinking: City were a split-second sharper than their title rivals.
Guardiola very deliberately targeted the space in behind Andy Robertson in particular with Jesus and Kyle Walker storming down the right. Jesus played up against Robertson, looking to flick the ball inside or simply turning and taking the Scot on for pace. When Jesus moved inside, Walker flew past on the overlap. Robertson needed more protection and was eventually booked when catching De Bruyne, who had joined in the City right-sided raiding party.
City could have been ahead even before De Bruyne’s sixth-minute strike. They were breaking so rapidly, Walker launching a counter with a header to send De Bruyne through the middle. City’s captain played the ball right to Jesus, who escaped Robertson and crossed in for Raheem Sterling. Alisson ran out, and saved.
Guardiola had sprung a surprise by deploying Sterling as a false No 9 and also starting Jesus but the Brazilian’s performance against Robertson swiftly vindicated the manager’s decision. Jesus is suspended for Wednesday’s Champions League game against Atletico Madrid when City’s leading scorer, Riyad Mahrez, will surely start. Jesus ran himself into the ground here, causing havoc and scoring. Mahrez came on late and missed a glorious chance to win it.
City’s speed of thought and movement brought them the lead. Fabinho fouled Rodri and Bernardo Silva took a quick free kick, touching the ball to De Bruyne. The Belgian let fly with his left foot, the ball deviating off Joël Matip, hitting a post and falling across the line. Blue smoke from a flare drifted across the pitch. The blue touch-paper had been lit.
Liverpool were rattled, and there was a rare misunderstanding between Alisson and van Dijk. Jesus, inevitably, was involved, pressing the Liverpool pair. City were in control but in keeping with a seesaw thriller Liverpool equalised within six minutes. Trent Alexander-Arnold squared to Mohamed Salah, who tried to dink the ball towards Sadio Mané.
John Stones intervened, Bernardo Silva tried to complete the clearance but gifted the ball to Robertson. He lifted the ball to the far post where Alexander-Arnold cut it back cleverly for Diogo Jota to slide his shot past Ederson. Stones was on the line and looked briefly at his keeper, who was beaten far too easily. Liverpool celebrations highlighted a few issues with segregation inside the Etihad. Now a red flare filled the air.
The tempo briefly slowed, allowing everyone to catch their breath at the special fare on show. This is one of the great English rivalries of the modern era, lacking the edge and drama of the Manchester United v Arsenal, Roy Keane v Patrick Vieira vintage but exceptional in terms of pure technical and tactical quality. Historically, the greatest rivalry in English football is between Manchester United and Liverpool, although United have plenty of rebuilding to do before reviving that.
This new rivalry, developed over recent years, and defined by the inspiring influence of Guardiola and Klopp, is reflected in the remarkable statistic that since the start of the 2018-19 season, City have now amassed 339 points to Liverpool’s 338. The next closest, Chelsea, are a distant 267.
City looked more at ease, Liverpool made nervous by the pressing of Jesus, Sterling and company. When Liverpool did try to counter through the familiar threat of Salah, Walker covered across smartly. The only unnerving moment for City in the rest of the half came when Ederson was far too casual fielding a ball — think Phil Tufnell on the boundary — and it rolled along the line with the predatory Jota sliding in. Ederson calmly touched it to Aymeric Laporte.
As Liverpool fans taunted their hosts with “where’s your European Cup?”, City deservedly reclaimed the lead after 36 minutes, and deservedly it was Jesus. When Matip headed out from a corner, Liverpool pushed up. João Cancelo, knowing the need for speed, drilled the ball back in, and Jesus exploited Alexander-Arnold not stepping up quickly enough. Jesus met it on the rise, sending it past Alisson and in off the crossbar for his first goal in 16 league appearances.
Klopp clearly had words at the break as Liverpool re-emerged far sharper, and with Henderson and Thiago Alcântara pushing further up the field. The title was on the line. They had to respond. It’s in their mindset under Klopp. They trailed City by 14 points on January 15 — although they did have two matches in hand — and have powered their way back into contention. Klopp was out before his players, eschewing any personnel changes, simply backing his starting XI to sort out the problems. His captain, Henderson, was immense, leading the press.
His team stormed into City, who were caught out within 47 seconds of the restart.
Alexander-Arnold appeared to be turning back when he suddenly swivelled and stroked the ball in to Salah. The Egyptian’s response was majestic, placing his pass left-footed behind Walker for Mané to sweep the ball past Ederson from 10 yards.
There were some many beautiful touches to behold. Alexander-Arnold scooping a pass to Henderson. De Bruyne’s elegant first-time deliveries. Sterling beat Alisson with a low finish but was judged offside by VAR on the tightest of margins. Liverpool knew they really had to win. They appear to have the tougher run-in, including Manchester United, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur at home and Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa away. City’s gentler gallop to the line involves such challenges as Leeds United and West Ham United away.
So Klopp made his first change after 69 minutes, sending on Luis Díaz for Jota. The gloved Colombian was immediately involved, coming in off the left with Mané now central. Díaz helped set up Salah for a shot that deflected off Laporte and should have brought a corner. The referee, Anthony Taylor, erred there and tried to play advantage. He let the game flow, allowing one lengthy City move to develop before going back and booking Alcântara for taking out De Bruyne what seemed a lifetime ago.
Touches of class were all over, and Cancelo embodied the mood by dribbling past Salah, Henderson and then Salah again. Salah almost apologetically fouled the City left back. Henderson was tiring, and was withdrawn for Naby Keita. Fabinho, who escaped censure for a foul on Phil Foden, then brought down Bernardo Silva. Fabinho escaped again. Beyond a couple of mistakes, Taylor handled a high-pressure, high-speed encounter well.
Both managers tried to inject more life and ideas into their side. Jack Grealish replaced the excellent Jesus and Roberto Firmino came on for Mané. De Bruyne threatened on the cusp of full-time, his break ended by van Dijk’s cynical trip. Mahrez’s free kick slipped just wide. Mahrez then wasted a chance to win it, ignoring his teammates and lifting his effort well over. But it was still advantage City.
Manchester City’s remaining league games
April 20 Brighton (H)
April 23 Watford (H)
April 30 Leeds United (A)
May 8 Newcastle (H)
May 15 West Ham (A)
May 22 Aston Villa (H)
TBC Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)
Liverpool’s remaining league games
April 19 Manchester United (H)
April 24 Everton (H)
April 30 Newcastle (A)
May 7 Tottenham (H)
May 10 Aston Villa (A)
May 15 Southampton (A)
May 22 Wolverhampton Wanderers (H)
– The Times
Originally published as Liverpool level twice to keep title race alive but it’s advantage Manchester City after 2-2 draw
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