“It was a brilliant advert for the Premier League,” a breathless Pep Guardiola beamed after watching his Manchester City side come from behind to defeat Liverpool 2–1 at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
Even the beaten Reds boss, Arne Slot, conceded that it was “another great Liverpool-Man City game as we have seen over the years” through gritted teeth.
These two teams have won the last eight Premier League titles between them, with the exceedingly narrow races to the summit often decided by high-spec battles of technical and tactical brilliance in the direct head-to-heads.
Sunday’s showing was undoubtedly an entertaining affair, particularly the chaotic and controversial conclusion, but it also exposed the abundant flaws which ensure that neither team currently find themselves at the Premier League summit.
Arne Slot’s Search for Balance Continues in Vain
It was the former Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez who liked to use the short blanket analogy to describe the difficulty in striking a balance between attack and defence. “If you cover your head, you have your feet cold, but if you cover your feet, you have your head cold,” he reasoned.
Slot is still struggling to figure out how to stop his Liverpool team looking so exposed.
After ditching Mohamed Salah following a ruinous defensive run in the autumn, Liverpool tightened up at the back at the expense of their attacking zest. The Reds were accused of being “boring,” which—as much as it pained him—Slot couldn’t disagree with. Upon Salah’s return to the team last month, Liverpool immediately pivoted the opposite way with an open 3–2 defeat to Bournemouth.
Newcastle United had the better of the first half before Liverpool pulled clear at St James’ Park last weekend yet another slow start against City was belatedly punished. Ryan Gravenberch was not alone in admitting that the visitors were “way better” than their hosts in the opening 45 minutes. A front-four of the anonymous Cody Gakpo, fleeting Florian Wirtz, wasteful Hugo Ekitiké and ineffective Salah barely laid a glove on City while leaving Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister exposed in midfield.
Even though the hosts improved after the break—which undoubtedly had something to do with City’s own problems at game management—they still conspired to give up 17 shots, seven of which were on target.
Slot insisted that Sunday’s showing was a huge improvement upon the 3–0 drubbing they suffered at the Etihad back in November. That may very well be true, but the outcome was still the same. “We need to improve the results,” the Dutch boss warned. He’s right. With 13 games of the season remaining, Liverpool sit four points adrift of Champions League qualification and five back from a Manchester United side which was once the butt of every joke.
Man City’s Collective Flaws Covered Up by Individuals
Even though the hosts improved after the break—which undoubtedly had something to do with City’s own problems at game management—they still conspired to give up 17 shots, seven of which were on target.
Slot insisted that Sunday’s showing was a huge improvement upon the 3–0 drubbing they suffered at the Etihad back in November. That may very well be true, but the outcome was still the same. “We need to improve the results,” the Dutch boss warned. He’s right. With 13 games of the season remaining, Liverpool sit four points adrift of Champions League qualification and five back from a Manchester United side which was once the butt of every joke.
Man City’s Collective Flaws Covered Up by Individuals
This was a cathartic victory in many ways for Manchester City. Guardiola won his first match away at Liverpool with fans, Erling Haaland scored his first Premier League goal at Anfield and the gap to Arsenal was narrowed to just six points. Yet, the fragile nature of the win has rightly given Guardiola cause for concern.
After a one-sided first half, City once again wilted after the break. Dominik Szoboszlai’s scorching opening goal was the culmination of a much-improved Liverpool who were in the ascendancy before the dramatic late turnaround. “It has happened many times,” Guardiola conceded post-match, reflecting on the nine separate second halves which his side have lost this season. “We are not consistent over 90 minutes, but we try to grow.”
Fortunately, Guardiola can call upon certain individuals to paper over the cracks of this collective uncertainty. It was Bernardo Silva’s turn to step up on Sunday.
“Belief from our captain,” was what the City boss put his side’s victory down to. “His character, personality, not giving up. In the end, we came back.”
The Portuguese schemer had caught the eye long before he prodded past Alisson to level the score in the 84th minute. Ratting around midfield with the same energy which defined the penetrative nature of his passes, Bernardo once again shone on the biggest of occasions.
“He is one of the best players I have every trained with,” Lionel Messi’s former manager gushed. “He is the perfect captain. It is a joy for me as a manager to have him. The team comes first. His contribution is massive and he is one of the legends of this club.”
Liverpool Boos Tell a Story
Marc Guéhi has no ostensible connection to Liverpool. He’s not a former Evertonian and had never before even scored against the Reds. Yet, from the first whistle of Sunday’s contest, his opening touches were booed by a hostile Anfield crowd. The inference was that Liverpool’s supporters held their club’s failure to sign the centre back against Guéhi himself—rather unfairly.
Had it not been for a late change of heart from Crystal Palace in the summer, Guéhi would have likely been lining up in red against the Sky Blues on Sunday. The England international was hardly to blame for Palace’s firm stance and was not the only party involved in his move to City in January.
Liverpool never came in with an offer for Guéhi last month after baulking at the £20 million ($26.8 million) fee City were willing to pay. Palace were in no financial position to turn down such a sum for a player who was six months away from leaving for free, sealing the fate of their departing captain.
Guéhi’s perceived snub of Liverpool has rankled especially when contrasted with the club’s lack of defensive authority or depth. Merely being associated with the Reds is enough to inspire fitness issues among centre backs now, with Jérémy Jacquet sustaining a “serious” issue a matter of days after agreeing his summer arrival at Anfield.
City’s winter recruit was one of their most impressive performers on Sunday while the Reds shipped goals number 34 and 35 of the season. Liverpool were mathematically confirmed as Premier League champions last year after conceding just 32 times.
Guardiola’s Gamble Falls Short
Sunday’s trip to Anfield was the first time Omar Marmoush and Haaland had started a Premier League game together since August. It may be a while before it happens again.
Marmoush was City’s liveliest forward in a first half which the visitors dominated without turning any of that enterprise into tangible end product. The Egypt international faded after the break and squandered a golden chance to put Alisson in a very difficult position by pulling out of a 50-50 shortly before he was brought off on the hour mark.
“The spirit has been there and in general the first half was really good and second half a bit of fatigue,” Guardiola surmised before damningly adding: “Omar and Erling were passive and that’s why we struggled.”
The presence of Marmoush—and Antoine Semenyo—freed Haaland up to battle Virgil van Dijk in an ongoing individual duel, yet that only exposed the lack of confidence in the Norwegian striker. He may have converted the decisive penalty but his wait for a Premier League goal from open play has been extended to eight appearances.
Title Race Takes Another Twist
Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta has made it abundantly clear that the title race is a long way from over. Sunday’s result justified his hesitance.
While Aston Villa appear to be rapidly fading from title contention—with Unai Emery’s blunt prediction that his side would miss out on the top five looking more likely with every passing weekend—City are not done yet.
Bernardo admitted after Sunday’s contest: “The whole team knew that if we lost this game, probably the title race is over.” The talismanic skipper conceded that Arsenal are “still in a much better position than us” but the pressure could soon get ramped right up.
City have the advantage of playing before Arsenal in midweek with a visit from Fulham on Wednesday night while the Gunners head to Brentford 24 hours later. After starting the day nine points clear of their closest rivals, Arsenal could begin their next match with City only three points adrift.
