This massive fixture was chaos fed on a silver platter. It had a title-race on the line, Champions League hopes hanging, and thousands of hate-watchers from around the world praying for either side to win. There were golazos (a.k.a goals), late drama, tactical brilliance, and shambolic referee decisions. This, beyond just going down as a battle between 2 brilliant minds, will be remembered as a battle in the war between the Liver Bird and the Citizens.
Phase 1: How Pep exploited Anfield
At home, Liverpool was expected to press high with intensity. Anfield bolstered morale and pushed the team forward. Multiple times, in the first 20 minutes, a few mistakes in the buildup from City led to opportunities falling to Hugo Ekitike and Mohammed Salah, although nothing came of those chances. But as time went on, it became clear that the incredibly risky buildup was part of the plan. Every time Liverpool pushed up to press high, it took 2 or 3 passes to pass the midfield and get the ball up to Haaland and Semenyo, who could run with the ball.
Phase 2: Entering the half, it was clear which side was the better. Yes, Liverpool had the better chances made, but that was mostly off mistakes made by City mixed with quite a bit of luck. Overall, City dominated possession and, time and time again, played through the Reds and got to dangerous areas. But when the two teams came back onto the pitch, something was different. Liverpool was more intense, more strategic. They didn’t stay up the whole time. They forced City to play short passes and pounced on loose balls. Szoboszlai was huge: constantly running and tackling men on the right touchline. Yet it remained scoreless for 73 minutes.
Phase 3: Liverpool won a free kick a long way out. 35 yards out, Donarumma decides that there was no need for a wall. He leaves 2 players up and has everyone else marking a man: Van Dijk was covered, Konate was covered, and defenders were stationed at key spots. A shot from range was unlikely: even the best would think twice about it. Too bad Szoboszlai stood over it: in the exact same spot, earlier that year, he smacked one in against Arsenal.
He got a clean strike, off his laces, and it rocketed. It somehow curled outwards, evading players, and beat Donarumma, a top 3 keeper in the world. He had no chance trying to save it: he was stuck on his feet. It was a moment of class from arguably the best set piece taker in the entire world.
Phase 4: The remontada was crazy to watch. Anfield was roaring. Liverpool was intense. They kept getting into good spots. Then, suddenly, they fell back. They stopped pressing, stopped looking dangerous. They backtracked slowly, inching towards their own goal. And with that, in a matter of minutes, the game was gone. They let the lead slip, and it was 2-1, Manchester City.
Delving into the game:
There were some notable players in this game. Szoboszlai was everywhere. He ran like a horse, sprinted like a cheetah. He was monstrous and scored a banger. He was so good he helped the other team, too! He forgot to step up as the last man and force Silva offside for the first goal. I’m not dissing him: he’s not a right back, as good as he is. Another amazing player was Donnarumma. He didn’t have much to do, but in the last minutes of the game, he had an amazing fingertip save to deny a Liverpool equaliser. Haaland, the stereotypical striker whose job is to score goals, did surprisingly well. Even though he only scored a penalty, his battle with Van Dijk was glorious, and his holdup play (an underrated aspect of his game) was something to watch.
On the other hand, the referees were abysmal. There were way too many blatant fouls missed, and way too many free kicks given that weren’t fouls. Moreover, in the last minute of the game, just before Szoboszlai earned a red card, Mohammed Salah dribbled through the box before laying it off to a teammate. When he passes it, Rodri clearly lunges and chops him without even touching the ball. That’s an important miss by the referees, which so easily could’ve given Liverpool a late goal. Similarly, Marc Guehi, who played very well, may have deserved a red card. He was the last defender; Salah was through on goal. So, he grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him down. He earned a yellow, but by the rules of the game, DOGSO (or denial of a clear goal scoring opportunity) should’ve sent him back to the changing room.
Significance of this result, and current status of the table
In a tight, European race, Liverpool lost 3 crucial points at home. They recently dropped points against bottom-place Wolves and relegation-candidate Tottenham Hotspur, so this loss could be a reason why they don’t play Champions League next year. For Man City, this is a sign that even against elite opposition, they can push through. Liverpool definitely has been shaky this season, but they’ve had their bright moments. With Arsenal struggling to find form, each win is an inch towards winning a title.
