Few games sum up what it is like to support Liverpool better
than the classic that played out when the runaway league leaders, Manchester
City, came to Anfield. Fans felt joy,
frustration, elation and then panic as the game unfolded – ultimately they came
away very happy indeed, as Klopp’s men held on for a win that deprives City of
their unbeaten record in the league and fires Liverpool into third place.
Familiar defensive frailties reared their heads, but it was the attackers’ day.
The front three, supported by a strong showing from the midfield, were all
exceptional; this was reflected in the sheer class of each of the four goals,
which were worthy of winning any football match.
Liverpool went into this game in the knowledge that they had
a fighting chance. Manchester City’s unbeaten run would undoubtedly have been
daunting, but Klopp’s side are putting together quite a string of results
themselves: seventeen undefeated before this game. Further, City are the sort
of side Liverpool love to play against – only the very best offensive teams
back themselves to come to Anfield with real attacking intent, and this leaves
space in behind of the kind which Mane and Salah simply love to exploit. There
was something of a question mark over whether this weapon would be quite as
effective without Coutinho to pick out the explosive runs, but it is fair to
say this question was answered emphatically. Inside ten minutes, Liverpool had
the lead: it was another of the pacey players, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who
scored it. Firmino’s typical pressing presented the ball to the midfielder in
the attacking third, and his driving run caught City on the back foot. Nobody
was quick enough to close him down, and his strike from distance rifled past
Ederson and into the bottom corner. On any other day it would have been the
best goal of the match; today it was probably the least remarkable of
Liverpool’s four, but it was vital in that it turned the strong start into
something tangible. There was no relenting after the goal, and City continued
to find themselves hustled and harried; it was apparent that this was a side
used to being given time to play an expansive game and pick their way through,
and they did not look comfortable in the face of the press. For this, all of
Liverpool’s midfield must take great credit – Oxlade-Chamberlain, Can and
Wijnaldum all played their part in forcing turnovers. When in possession,
Wijnaldum and Oxlade-Chamberlain in particular were instrumental in preventing
such turnovers from going against them – both of them showed excellent
awareness and calmness on a number of occasions to ensure possession was not
squandered cheaply.
Despite this promising and assured performance, Liverpool
did not manage to go in at the break with their lead intact. They will feel
that they deserved to do so, but they can only blame themselves for the manner
in which the equaliser was conceded. For a third time in recent weeks, Joe Gomez
had difficulty dealing with a raking cross-field ball – Sane was able to nip in
behind him, and after cutting inside he somehow managed to beat Karius at his
near post. Gomez can perhaps be afforded some leniency, given that he is young
and playing out of position; the German stopper is also inexperienced, but it
is difficult to see how a good goalkeeper in any stage of his career manages to
concede so cheaply. Klopp’s decision to play him is understandable, given that
Mignolet is hardly inspiring either and Karius at least has time on his side in
terms of development – it has got to a point, though, where the manager has to
seriously question whether either of them are good enough for a side with
ambitions as lofty as Liverpool’s. The
attack showed that they remain more than functional even in the absence of the
mercurial Coutinho: Klopp may have just had his mind made up for him about
where the money from that sale should be invested.
Still, it would be an injustice to the game and the
performance to dwell on the unsatisfactory goalkeeping situation – what
followed was vintage Liverpool, with all the brilliance and madness that this
entails. As the second half began, there looked to be a danger of Klopp’s men
deflating; for all their endeavour they were still level on the score-line, and
for a short time they played the dangerous game of just absorbing City
pressure. Before long, however, things clicked back into gear: the manager said
after the game that the only way to beat Guardiola’s team is to attack them, and
this is what they set about doing. It was Firmino who restored the lead, in
staggeringly good fashion. Salah knocked a ball for him to run on to; Stones
looked the firm favourite to get there, but the Brazilian shrugged him off with
ease. He then glanced up at the onrushing Ederson and calmly clipped the ball
over him and in at the far post – the instantaneous transition from brute
strength to sumptuous finishing was reminiscent of Suarez in his prime. Firmino
is one of many who can stake a claim to Man of the Match. Oxlade-Chamberlain is
another one whose name has to be in the mix, while Andy Robertson is doubtless
a contender as well. He delighted the Anfield faithful by frustrating Sterling
all game, thwarting him at every turn – this culminated in a booking and early
substitution for the former Liverpool man, who will not have enjoyed his
return.
City were shaken by conceding – just a minute later they
were seemingly let off the hook when Mane struck the woodwork. He was not to be
denied, however: yet another attack came after another minute or so, and this
time he slammed the ball emphatically into the top corner. As against Burnley,
it was an explosive finish on his weaker side: the technique required cannot be
underestimated. Not to be outshone, Salah completed a remarkable ten-minute
spell for the team with an outrageous goal of his own. Ederson made a rare
mistake with his clearance, no doubt shaken by the relentless Liverpool siege,
and the Egyptian swept the ball into the unguarded net from all of thirty-five
yards as if it was the easiest thing in the world. It feels like this is said
every week, but it just gets truer and truer: thirty-five million pounds is one
of the greatest bargains of recent years.
Manchester City, the team being understandably treated by
most as the champions-elect, the team producing some of the best football in
the history of the Premier League, thus found themselves 4-1 down. This is
testament to Liverpool’s immense array of attacking firepower, as well as Klopp’s
skill in harnessing and optimising it. If he can keep this exciting, talented
group together then there is no denying that they can go on to produce special
things: seldom has such a good opponent been dismantled with such ease.
However, if any sustained success is to be enjoyed, the goings-on at the other
end of the field have to be rectified sooner rather than later. Even at 4-1,
nobody was treating the result as a foregone conclusion – Liverpool fans have
seen too many collapses to take anything as a given. Sure enough, City were
allowed to muster a late fightback: Bernardo Silva found himself free in the
box to turn the ball home in the 84th minute, and in the first of
four minutes of added time Gundogan was left similarly unmarked to make it 4-3.
In less stressful circumstances Lovren’s attempt to intercept the cross would
have been comical. There was nothing funny about the possibility of letting
such a good, hard-fought position slip, however: Klopp’s fury was evident on
the touchline. Virgil Van Dijk has only played one game for the club, but
already he is a big miss in his absence: aside from the fact that he would
undoubtedly have prevented at least one of the two late goals, the calmness
that he exuded against Everton would have been highly welcome in this fixture.
In the end, though, it didn’t matter: Liverpool clung on for victory, and
nobody could say they didn’t deserve it.
It was football at its best: breathless, scintillating,
enthralling and full of quality. Both sides were somewhat suspect at the back,
but this only served to add to the spectacle. It can only be good for football
that City’s unbeaten streak was taken from them in this fashion – the prospect
of an ‘invincibles’ season was wrested forcefully away from them, rather than nicked
by a parked bus and a lucky goal. At any rate, it was certainly good for
Liverpool: the win is all the sweeter for Chelsea and Arsenal’s dropped points,
and the top four picture is looking as good as it has all season. In the
post-match elation, even the fifteen-point gap doesn’t feel completely
unassailable! Realistically, the title charge may have to wait for next season:
on today’s evidence, though, Liverpool’s rivals better sit up and take notice
of them when it comes to the next campaign.
- Folow me on Twitter @JamesMartin013
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