5 Talking Points from Liverpool's sublime win against Manchester City

Ferdie
Liverpool FC v Manchester City - Premier League
Liverpool FC v Manchester City - Premier League

Liverpool came out on top in a potentially crucial tie for the title race this year as they registered a 3-1 win over the title holders Manchester City. A controversial first goal followed by a sublime second gave them an early advantage, and an early second-half strike gave them all the impetus. Manchester City tried to mount a late return in the game but apart from a sole Bernardo Silva goal their efforts bore no fruit.

While the visitors dominated large parts of the game, their inability to finish off chances meant that Liverpool always had the upper hand in the game. The Reds maintained their threat in the game on the counter and made the best of their opportunities at the other end.

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City will feel hard done by in terms of many major decisions in the game. The Spanish boss was spotted raving about it on the touchline on a number of occasions and his ire regarding the decisions that weren't given in his team's favour was palpable.

Regardless of the manner of victory, it means that the gap between the two is now 9 points with 26 games to go this season. The loss puts City in fourth place, a point behind both Leicester City and Chelsea and they have plenty of work to do if they're going to close the gap but they will also need help from all quarters.

#1 The First Goal

Guardiola was incandescent that the first goal was allowed to stand
Guardiola was incandescent that the first goal was allowed to stand

The biggest talking point of the game in the early minutes of the match as the ball ricocheted in Liverpool's box striking both Bernardo Silva and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the arm before the Reds broke to score at the other end from a fabulous Fabinho strike.

In controversial circumstances, the goal was allow to stand and Liverpool had an early lead upon which to build. One can only speculate to the reason for which the goal was allowed to stand but Silva's hand in the build-up meant that City could not have won a penalty for Alexander-Arnold's foul, but the play then progressed and Fabinho scored. So if the VAR was to disallow Liverpool's goal, they would be forced to give Manchester City a penalty, which may have been why they allowed it to stand.

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#2 Profligate Manchester City

Aguero's jinx at Anfield continues
Aguero's jinx at Anfield continues

Usually, when Manchester City lose or draw, it means that they have been prevented from creating too many chances or a staunch opposition has managed to stifle their swift passing style. In this case, though, they registered 18 shots, of which only three were on target.

Although impressive in its own right, it doesn't tell the full story because they had massive chances falling to the likes of Sergio Aguero, who cannot seem to buy a goal at Anfield and Raheem Sterling who had a good game but was frustrated in front of goal.

The defending champions failed to make the best of the chances they did create and when you do that against a team of Liverpool's calibre, it often does not go unpunished. In this case, the Reds were just as ruthless as they were expected to be.

It was a frustrating night for Kevin De Bruyne in particular who worked tirelessly to create, but was unable to make any breakthroughs.

#3 Clinical Liverpool

Liverpool made the best of the few chances they created
Liverpool made the best of the few chances they created

Jurgen Klopp's men were the polar opposite of Manchester City as they managed 5 shots on goal and netted on three of those occasions. The threat from Liverpool was constant on the counter but they actual chances they created were few. They made those chances count where Guardiola's forwards were floundering.

Manchester City spent most of the game on the front foot but when Liverpool broke with the ball, their moves flowed out from the middle and found the right players in their deadly front three to make big impacts against their stellar opponents.

The first goal wasn't really even a chance but came from a superb strike by Fabinho, while the second was the result of a lovely curling cross from Andrew Robertson that found Mohamed Salah in space and the Egyptian made no mistake. Had City been that clinical at the other end, we may have had a very different game.

#4 Gini Wijnaldum pulling the strings

There is plenty of energy in Liverpool's engine room
There is plenty of energy in Liverpool's engine room

The Dutch midfielder's contributions for this team are mostly only remembered when he's scoring last-minute clutch goals or making mazy runs to release his team-mates. However, he was almost everywhere against Manchester City, always in the right positions at the right time to kill attacks and release pressure off his defence.

He specialises in keeping the ball in tight spaces and up against Ilkay Gundogan and Rodrigo, he thrived as he was able to almost on every occasion navigate a way past them to feed Firmino or Mane upfront.

While Fabinho usually gets most of the plaudits for Liverpool's defensive work in midfield, Wijnaldum did plenty of the grunt work himself and made life difficult for Kevin De Bruyne who had to drift wide to tey and get his head up to find team-mates. In the latter stages of the game when he was required to play further up the pitch, Wijnadum just seamlessly moved up and continued to shift the ball around.

#5 City missing Ederson

Mane sneaked the third goal past Bravo who got a hand to it but it wasn't strong enough
Mane sneaked the third goal past Bravo who got a hand to it but it wasn't strong enough

Two seasons ago, when City had just hired Pep Guardiola and the Spaniard failed to win the title in his first season, one of the big reasons for that failure was the lack of a goalkeeper who could play out from the back like Ederson.

Since the Brazilian goalkeeper's arrival, Manchester City's playing out from the back has been taken up a notch. Further, Ederson is also a master in terms of shot-stopping and his reading of the game. While Claudio Bravo is no slouch, it may be fair to say that Ederson was surely missed by the Citizens.

One of the key differentiating factors between the two is distribution of the ball which Liverpool benefitted from especially when Allison initiated the attack that led to the third goal but Bravo didn't make any such contributions in the game. Which is not a poor reflection on the former Barcelona goalkeeper, rather, it puts the missing Ederson in a glowing light.

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Edited by Sai Teja