Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola conceded that if his side lost to Liverpool, the Premier League title race was over. Little did he know that his side would not only win but produce a statement performance that injects new belief after a brilliant display from attacking duo Julian Alvarez and Jack Grealish. Both players helped themselves to a goal and assist apiece as the hosts tore apart Liverpool’s dismal defence to record a massive 4-1 victory on Saturday. Express Sport looks at five things from the clash at the Etihad Stadium.
Golden Grealish
Guardiola was questioned. Grealish was lambasted. And for 15 months, their detractors were right. What were Manchester City thinking laying down £100m on the winger when they already had attacking talent in abundance.
As it happens, the Catalan has a knack for helping players extract their maximum potential and, 18 months after his high-profile move, Grealish is finally delivering on his club-record transfer fee. He was simply outstanding on the left for City, carrying the ball confidently and twisting Trent Alexander-Arnold into knots. He thoroughly deserved his goal and the assist just showed how quickly he has transformed into a key player under Guardiola.
Since the World Cup, there has hardly been a more consistent player in the Premier League, The statistics might not show it, with five goals and four assists in the league this season, but the performances do. Trips to New York and large Chinese post-match meals might be easier for Guardiola to accept if Grealish continues destroying defenders in this fashion.
Alvarez proves Haaland point
Much was made about Erling Haaland’s absence before the game after he was left out of the squad with injury. But if there was a question to ask of Julian Alvarez, he answered it with a superb performance.
It took just 27 minutes for him to make his mark with his first chance and he made no mistake in putting it away after Grealish’s cross. In truth, there aren’t many more lethal strikers in the division than Alvarez, who rarely misses gilt-edged chances. Then, his pass out wide to Mahrez was perfectly timed and weighted as the Algerian set up De Bruyne for a simple tap-in just 53 seconds after the break.
Liverpool simply couldn’t handle him, and it showed again for the third goal as Alvarez skipped away from Fabinho and only Trent Alexander-Arnold stood in the way of his goalbound shot, before Gundogan struck home from the rebound. If Haaland is absent again, Guardiola will trust him to do another solid job.
Klopp needs Bellingham
With no Thiago Alcantara or Stefan Bajcetic in the midfield, Jurgen Klopp pieced together a midfield three of his long-time lieutenants Fabinho and Jordan Henderson with Harvey Elliott operating as a No 8. In doing so, he felt his players could at least stifle City’s threat with a man to mark Rodri, De Bruyne and Gundogan.
But it always looked like they were a step behind in trying to limit their influence, reflected Fabinho’s careless hat-trick of fouls inside the first seven minutes. It didn’t get better for Henderson either, who looked leggy and struggled to track the runs of De Bruyne in the channels and half-spaces.
The defence were left woefully unprotected as City attacked in numbers and when attacking, there was very little drive coming from the midfield areas. Klopp knows that he needs a revamp of his squad this summer and Bellingham, able to carry the ball confidently and pass accurately, looks to be the perfect ingredient to improve the flavour of his squad.
Unbeaten run ends abruptly
If there is a significant reminder that Klopp’s side are no longer they once were, this defeat would have been enough on the performance alone. But the statistics prove it too, as the Reds finally tasted defeat after going 44 games unbeaten when scoring first in the Premier League.
Sometimes statistics can be meaningless, but this showed just how difficult were to beat Liverpool. Their control on games is usually second to none – killing their opposition’s momentum with some tidy possession. As a contrast, this was a messy, chaotic affair where Liverpool fed off scraps on the break from City.
Now they have been beaten, and as BT Sport commentator Lucy Ward said aptly, “the belief had been sapped out of them”. After seven seasons of excellence, one might conclude Klopp’s motivation factor is slightly dwindling.
No love lost
Critics have accused both of these teams of being too focused on the style rather than substance that comes with this growing rivalry over the past five years. But Liverpool’s frustration and City’s aggression combined for a feisty encounter on this Saturday lunchtime.
The Reds were keen to rile up the City players and get in the referee’s ear as much as possible to break up the match and it could be argued they had a fair shout when Rodri, already booked, pulled back Cody Gakpo. Several mini-scraps broke out during the match, with Grealish and Henderson at heart of them.
While some local derbies can often prove to be anti-climactic, Man City and Liverpool often produce high-quality matches with dazzling football. Now, it has the added spice that has built up in the Guardiola-Klopp era, making it arguably the most anticipated clash of the season.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
