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Borussia Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels has hailed the intensity of both sides in Liverpool's Premier League fixture against Manchester City on Sunday (March 10).
The Merseysiders drew 1-1 against the Cityzens in a fast-paced encounter that saw multiple chances on both ends. Luis Diaz had a goal ruled out in the first half as Darwin Nunez was deemed offside before setting up the strike.
John Stones then scored the opener in the 23rd minute, assisted by Kevin De Bruyne's corner set-piece, as City headed into the break 1-0 up. Liverpool came out firing on all fronts in the second half and found the equalizer in the 50th minute.
Manchester City left-back Nathan Ake made a sloppy pass to Ederson, forcing the Brazilian keeper to extend his leg to reach the ball and fouling Darwin Nunez in the process. Alexis Mac Allister stepped up to the spot and converted the penalty.
The Merseysiders were relentless in trying to find the match-winner, with the likes of Nunez and Luis Diaz displaying great work rate. City came close to regaining the lead as well on two occasions, with Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden hitting the woodwork in the second half.
Following the encounter, Hummels made a huge claim on social media. The German defender wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"There are no five teams in the world right now that can play that intense. What a game at Anfield."
Liverpool will next face Sparta Praha at Anfield in the Europa League Round of 16 on Thursday (March 14).
"It’s a penalty for all football people on the planet" - Jurgen Klopp on Liverpool's last-gasp penalty shout against Man City
Deep into stoppage time of the second half, the Reds had a penalty shout when Alexis Mac Allister appeared to be fouled in the box. A late Liverpool corner in the 98th minute saw Jeremy Doku catch the Argentine in the torso with a high boot.
However, the Merseysiders were denied a second penalty after VAR review. Klopp remains adamant that his side were robbed of a spot-kick, insisting that the foul would've been given had it been in any other area of the pitch.
The Liverpool boss said after the game (via The Guardian):
“This situation on all positions on the pitch is 100% a foul and it’s a yellow card. He hit the ball but he can only hit the ball because his foot was right there. If the ball is not there, he kills him. It’s as easy as that. It’s a penalty for all football people on the planet.”
Liverpool (64 points with 19 wins) are now in second place after their draw with Manchester City, sitting a point above the Cityzens (63 points with 19 wins). Meanwhile, Arsenal (64 points with 20 wins) returned to the top of the league after their 2-1 win over Brentford on March 9.
