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Score: Liverpool 4-3 Manchester City
Goalscorers: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 9', Leroy Sane 40', Roberto Firmino 59', Sadio Mane 61', Mohamed Salah 68', Bernardo Silva 84', Ilkay Gundogan 90+1'
Football, bloody hell!
You bet this game had everything from sheer brilliance to utter madness. Liverpool vs Manchester City at Anfield had all the ingredients in place to become a contender for the match of the season and boy did it live up to the expectations!
Manchester City were taken apart by Liverpool's pressing in the second half and at the end, the scoreline flattered the champions-elect. If it was not for their shoddy usual defending, this could have been a proper beating.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain opened the scoring with a low drive from outside the box before Leroy Sane levelled with a thunderbolt. A nine-minute second-half blitzkrieg from the fab three of Firmino, Mane, and Salah then saw Liverpool getting a 4-1 lead. Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan tested the nerves of the Liverpool players and supporters at the end but the Reds did enough to cross the finishing line.
On that note, here are the key talking points from a Premier League classic between Liverpool and Manchester City:
#5 A dream of a golden Premier League trophy up in flames
This was going to be the toughest test of the season for Pep Guardiola's record makers. Coming into this match, Manchester City were unbeaten in all of the 22 league matches this season and had dropped just four points in that period. City's last defeat came 33 matches earlier whereas the last time they conceded 3+ goals was on January 15, 2017, against Everton.
After Leroy Sane equalized and even after the interval, City looked at their commanding self and were on course for another professional display, led by Kevin De Bruyne. But near the hour mark, they did not have any idea what hit them! Liverpool pressed with intent, caused City to commit unnatural mistakes and the dream of going invincible in the 2017/18 season was lost.
Credit to Manchester City for not losing hope and doing what they have been doing all season - finishing games strongly, the mark of a champion side - but on the night, Liverpool were deserved victors.
#4 Liverpool's brilliant midfield performance
Games of this stature are mostly decided by the men at the centre of the park. In one corner of the ring, we had the world beaters - the trio of Fernandinho, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan; a more than an able deputy for the missing David Silva. On the other, we had the boxers in red, the inconsistent yet eye-catching trio of Emre Can, Gini Wijnaldum and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
City's midfielders/boxers must have thought that this would be just another day in the office for them. They could not have been more wrong. Their opponents not only hit them where it hurts but punched them incessantly with jab after jab to the ribs which made sure of a knockout at the end.
Enough with the wordplay.
The trio of Can, Wijnaldum, and Chamberlain were unstoppable on the night. Aggressive, winning back possession in a jiffy, circulating the ball well and winning the majority of the duels between the two sides.
Can was brilliant with his interceptions, Wijnaldum retained the ball with perfection and Chamberlain was the link which made Liverpool attack with impact. On the other hand, Fernandinho had a shocker of a game. Gundogan was just about decent on the night whereas De Bruyne was fighting a lone battle.
Jurgen Klopp's strategy of pressing from the midfield and dominating the centre with numbers paid off with all three of his midfielders working in tandem with great result. As for City, they finally met their match today and sadly, could not impress in their toughest bout till date.
#3 A thriller for many but a nightmare for two
This was as good an advert for the game as there could be. 7 goals. Thrilling end. Brilliant goals being scored. Neutrals happy. What more can you ask on a Sunday night? Both sides played some beautiful football going forward, Liverpool especially being tactically spot on.
But the men between the sticks for both the sides it seems were busy plotting attacks in their minds rather than sticking to their day job. Liverpool's goalkeeping problems are well documented so it was not a shock to see the Reds concede from a keeper's mistake. Sadly, this has been the state of average custodians at the club in recent times!
But the surprising issue was that of the performance of Ederson. He has been sensational this season but had a total stinker tonight. The Brazilian's position was at fault for the first goal, he was embarrassed by Firmino for the second, the third was a dream finish whereas the fourth was all his mistake. How can you come off the line and clear straight to the man in the form of his life?
Ederson played a huge part in City's loss tonight but it could be argued that he had a bad day. On the other hand, the same cannot be said for Loris Karius. Time and again, he has made some crucial mistakes which has led him not to get an extended run as the club's no.1 goalkeeper.
Karius conceded a goal at his near post tonight against Leroy Sane, one which could have easily been parried away. Liverpool are a brilliant team and are playing some of the best football on the continent at the moment, only to be held back by two bang average goalkeepers earning their living despite making glaring errors, week in week out.
#2 Chamberlain, Firmino, and Robertson impress the most
A lot has been made about the transfer business done by Liverpool in recent times. The signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal was written off by many on the basis of the player's initial performances. Chamberlain has since gone on from strength to strength and tonight delivered a performance that justified Klopp's punt on him.
He was tenacious, smart and most importantly, was crucial to Liverpool's cause. A goal and an assist put a cherry on top of his display with the midfielder also winning the man of the match award. A performance like this in a game of this magnitude shows the progress made by Chamberlain since his move and reflects that he belongs on the big stage.
Andy Robertson, meanwhile, has sealed the left-back position at Liverpool for the considerable present on the basis of this performance. Yes, he was that good! The Scot was as solid as a rock against one of the players of the season in Raheem Sterling. He not only kept him quiet but frustrated him to great lengths... up to a point where he had to be taken off for his ineffectiveness.
Firmino, meanwhile, was his usual, consistently brilliant self. In a league consisting of high profile strikers, this false nine/Raumdeuter/modern complete forward has gone on to make a mark of himself.
That goal of his was a masterclass. Showing brutal strength to get off England's premium defender and then dinking past Ederson with finesse. Liverpool have reportedly offered a contract for life to the Brazilian and after this game, he should be taken hostage until he signs on that piece of paper.
Firmino's game in numbers:
73% passing. 3 key passes. 1 assist. 2 tackles. 2 interceptions. 3 shots. 1 goal
#1 No Coutinho, no issues
The major talking point before the game was how Liverpool would cope without Philippe Coutinho, this being the first game after his departure to Barcelona. With no replacement in sight, this was a move judged by many as an axe in the foot by the Reds. They needed a response against Manchester City and that's exactly what Klopp got from his men.
Not even during a single minute of the match was Coutinho's absence felt, such was the influence created by the front six today. The midfield did its part, Salah and Mane put in a great shift and Firmino was at his usual space-invading best. From back to front, Liverpool worked like a well-oiled machine tonight, completely negating the void created by the Brazilian's departure.
At the end, this was a game of football which was nothing less than a spectacle. At the end of this game, atleast, you wouldn't blame the average Liverpool fan if they were to wonder... who was at a loss at the end, Liverpool or Philippe Coutinho?
