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Liverpool turned up the heat on Manchester City as they defeated Pep Guardiola’s side 3-0 in the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
It was one of those nights where Anfield truly came to life, with the Liverpool fans chanting and singing all through the 90 minutes.
It took Jurgen Klopp’s side just 12 minutes to open the scoring as the in-form Mohamed Salah benefited from a mix up in the City penalty area to slot home past the onrushing Ederson.
The Reds doubled their lead nine minutes later, this time Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scoring with a fierce shot from outside the box.
Manchester City started off sluggishly and were often second best for much of the first half. The Citizens were reactive instead of proactive, and it did cost them another goal as Saido Mane rose to head home Liverpool’s third on the night.
City now have a tall mountain to climb when Liverpool visit the Etihad next week, having failed to register a single away goal.
Here are the major talking points from the game:
#5 Slow start costs Manchester City
Manchester City have had an amazing season so far, but on Wednesday night it was a different ball game altogether when they travelled to Anfield. Pep Guardiola’s side were outclassed in every department in the first half.
City’s dominant run in the Premier League has been characterized by quick transition and a calculated passing sequence. However, against Liverpool, they were sloppy right from the first blast of the whistle.
Wayward passes, slow build up and avoidable mistakes crept into the Manchester side’s game, allowing Liverpool to capitalize. The first goal from Mohamed Salah came as a result of Kyle Walker’s delay in clearing a loose ball, whiles the second was scored following poor marking from both Fernandinho and Aymeric Laporte.
The third goal was even more baffling as Mane was left completely unmarked at the far post, free to head home from Salah's cross.
On the other hand, Klopp set up his Liverpool side to make good use of the wings, with Mane, Salah and Firmino wreaking havoc. Perhaps City could have held their own had they been a bit more vibrant in the opening stages. However, they started the game in the sloppiest way possible and Liverpool rightly made them pay.
#4 Salah takes form into Champions League
Another game and another Mohamed Salah goal! It is becoming unthinkable to envisage a Liverpool game without the Egyptian getting on the score sheet. On Wednesday he was a thorn in the flesh of the Man City defence, running both Laporte and Kompany ragged.
Salah scored once and assisted another as the Reds ran out 3-0 winners, but his performance on the night was much more impactful than just that. He constantly drifted into the middle to create spaces for his other team-mates.
The 25-year-old has already netted 29 times in the Premier League, but if there were any doubts that he could replicate that form in Europe, the answers were laid bare for all to see.
Unfortunately, an injury meant he had to be substituted early in the second half. However, his performance before then depicted a player that is currently unstoppable.
#3 City stars fail to turn up
One major highlight of Manchester City’s season so far has been the array of stars that have been pulling the strings. Pep Guardiola has built a side that is not dependent on a single player, with every individual – right from goalkeeper to striker – playing a key role in the journey thus far.
However, against Liverpool, that unified machinery was dismantled, with the side tending to rely on individual brilliance rather than teamwork.
The likes of Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva, who are normally the creators-in-chief and the orchestrators of attacks, were totally lost. The Spaniard, in particular, could barely get a touch of the ball, whiles De Bruyne had to drop deep due to Liverpool’s high-pressing game in the first half.
On the wings, Leroy Sane was not at his best, as he lost possession more than any other City player. Even the ever-reliable Fernandinho had a bad day at the office, allowing Jordan Henderson and James Milner to win the midfield battle.
It was a truly terrible outing for Pep Guardiola’s side and the inability of Man City’s stars to show up killed any probability of a comeback.
#2 Cautious Klopp learns his lessons
Liverpool may have beaten City 3-0, but this was a game of two halves. The Reds were clearly the better side in the first half, but returned from the break playing a more conservative style of football.
It was a style that gave Manchester City the initiative to dominate the second half, but in truth, Jurgen Klopp knew exactly what he was doing. Having taken a 3-0 lead into halftime, the German set up his side to counter-attack in the second half, whilst closing down the few spaces that City could tap into.
In the last meeting between these two sides in the Premier League, Liverpool took a 4-1 lead but nearly surrendered it late on, with City ending the game 4-3 losers. Klopp certainly wanted to avoid a similar situation and so chose to reign in his side’s attacking intent during the second half.
The former Borussia Dortmund boss simply did not want to repeat his mistakes of old, and recognized the fact that in such games a team must give up their attacking philosophy at some point for the greater good.
#1 Salah injury mars Liverpool win
When Mohamed Salah walked to the touchline clutching his thigh, you could feel the anxiety on the faces of the teeming Liverpool fans. Unfortunately, the Egyptian could not continue and was substituted just seven minutes after the start of the second half.
The extent of his injury remains unknown, but what was evident is that the injury marred what was otherwise an excellent night at Anfield. With the Reds set to face City again in a week’s time, and with the Premier League top four race still open, an injury to Salah is not what Liverpool need right now.
The player has scored 38 goals in all competitions, hence it is understandable why Klopp chose to take him off rather than risk making it even worse. Salah has enjoyed an impressive season so far, and many Liverpool fans would hope that his injury is nothing serious.
After delivering a goal and an assist that could potentially send Liverpool into the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time in over a decade, the Egyptian's injury marred what should have been a sweet night.
