Liverpool 3-2 Man City: We Shall Not Be Moved

 In a game dubbed (perhaps slightly prematurely) by many as the title decider, Liverpool and Manchester City produced an absolute thriller. During the first half it looked like Liverpool could turn it into an utter rout, but City came out very strongly in the second half and made a real game of it. Eventually though, Liverpool prevailed, and they now sit two points clear at the top of the Premier League table with just 4 games to play.

Even 3 hours before kick-off, hordes of Liverpool fans were flocking to Anfield, vying to get a good enough spot to catch a glimpse of the players on their arrival. The stadium complex was full of nervous energy; occasional chants of “we’re going to win the league” broke out, but quickly died away. The importance of the game was evident. Still, despite the tension, the fans (some of whom were lined up all the way down Anfield Road) were able to muster a rousing battle cry when the team finally arrived. The message was clear- we can do this.

In spite of the huge rivalry between Liverpool and City in this years’ race for the title, the two clubs still showed excellent respect towards one another in the emotional Hillsborough tribute prior to the game. Firstly, representatives of Manchester City offered a wreath of blue and red flowers, and then some of the away fans raised a banner that read ‘YNWA96’. The Liverpool fans subsequently applauded the City faithful, and the gratitude towards them was clearly heartfelt. When tragedies such as Hillsborough occur, the whole football community has a duty to put their rivalries to one side and stand united, and that’s exactly what happened in the lead-up to kick-off yesterday. The minutes silence was also impeccably observed by both sets of fans.

After these touching tributes, the animosity between the two clubs returned with a vengeance! City’s attempts to cheer on their team were drowned out by the roar of the Liverpool fans. Some of the aforementioned tension was dissipated almost at once- Liverpool, having made a trademark quick start, were ahead after just 6 minutes! It was scored by Raheem Sterling, who coolly dummied his way round Kompany and Hart before firing home. The elation, tinged with relief, was tangible.

The momentum was well and truly with us now, and it remained with us throughout most of the first half. Coutinho and Sturridge both had chances to score, but it remained at 1-0 until the 26^th minute. It was a classic Liverpool corner- Gerrard whipped it in, and Skrtel, as he has done with such regularity this season, met it with his head and fired it past the keeper. City were being absolutely blown away. This might have been something to do with the injury to Yaya Toure early on- without his presence, City were unable to physically overpower the Liverpool midfield. This allowed the reds to play expansive, creative football, which led to chances.

Had Suarez and Sturridge been at their best, the first half would have been ‘vintage Liverpool’. As it was, SAS were misfiring slightly. Neither of them have been on top form in recent games (although Suarez not at his best is still better than most), and against City they really struggled. Sturridge just seemed unable to ever get involved properly, and Suarez, partially due to the constant fouling he was receiving from Demichelis, was also relatively ineffectual. Still, this did serve to show all the doubters that Liverpool are by no means a one-man-team, an accusation that many jealous people have thrown at the club since our acquisition of Suarez.  The team as a whole played well, and as such we totally dominated the team who going into the match were title favourites, without requiring a goal from Suarez or Sturridge.

Sadly, this utter control could not be maintained into the second half. For about 10 minutes Liverpool were able to keep City’s attacks at bay, but eventually, on 57 minutes, they cracked. Some nice interplay by the City forwards combined with some poor defending from Liverpool resulted in David Silva pulling one back for City. After this, Liverpool lost all the

remnants of their previous initiative, and City were all over them. As such, there was a sense of inevitability about the second goal, which came just 5 minutes later. It was a freak goal: Silva’s ball across the middle hit Johnson, and then rolled almost comically past Mignolet at the near post. At the time though, the Liverpool crowd certainly didn’t see the funny side. Groans of despair and anxiety filled the ground. These only increased in intensity when Manuel Pellegrini brought on Sergio Ageuro- the way the game was going, it looked likely that he would work his magic and put City in front. 

Thankfully, at this point, Liverpool showed the spirit and strength of character that is needed in any team who wish to launch a genuine challenge on the title. They dragged themselves slowly back into the game, and though they had to survive defensive scares (Silva’s stretching shot that went just wide of the post from Aguero’s cross was particularly nerve-wracking) they also started to make some attacks of their own again. In the 78^th minute, they mounted one such attack. It looked to have fizzled out, but City captain Vincent Kompany scuffed his clearance. It came to Philippe Coutinho, who had already missed two great chances in the first half. This time, he was not wayward. With a powerful first-time drive, he put the ball right in the corner, beyond the reach of Joe Hart. Anfield erupted. Renewed cries of “we’re going to win the league” echoed round the ground, with real belief behind the words. The passion of the fans worked its way onto the pitch, and was picked up by the players. For the remaining 12 minutes, they fought for their life, showing a real hunger and desperation for the title. In stoppage time, Henderson fought a little too hard. He lunged in two-footed to try and get the ball and prevent a City attack. Though he won the ball, the manner in which he went in for it was only ever going to lead to one thing. Clattenburg, who up to that point had been having a howler (Suarez should have had at least two penalties), got this decision right.

As it was so late on it didn’t have any real effect in the short-term; Liverpool held on for what could be a crucial win in the race for the title. Gerrard’s emotion in the team huddle after the game summed up the passion mixed with a sort of desperation that every fan is feeling. We all want this extremely badly, and it’s in our hands, but with 4 games remaining it most certainly won’t be easy. Henderson’s three-match ban will make it no easier. He has been one of our unsung heroes this campaign- his generally excellent tackling, his desire to cover vast distances for the club during matches, and his passing (he has made the 2^nd most passes of any player in the Premier League this season) have all been invaluable. Still, we have Allen available to step up, and he is a more than adequate replacement. Alternatively, Lucas could come in to the team for the next three games. He could take over from Gerrard at defensive midfield, and Gerrard could shift forward to fill the place where Henderson would normally be. The fact that we have these two decent options will hopefully mean that we can get the results we need even without Henderson.

The fans certainly believed that we could get the results we need to in the immediate aftermath of the game. Hardly anyone left straight after the final whistle; instead they stayed, and filled the ground with chants of ‘We shall not be moved’. This determined, stubborn attitude is just what the team needs to get themselves over the finish line and do what was unthinkable at the start of the season: win the league title. With Rodgers at the helm, and a team of passionate and technically gifted players out on the pitch, I’m really starting to believe that we really will not be moved.

-James Martin

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