Premier League witnessed one of the greatest matches this weekend. Manchester City denied Liverpool 3 points at Anfield which saw Chelsea finish at the top for the weekend. As we expected, when two world-class managers lock horns with brilliant players it would definitely be a tight contest.
With these two teams having the most formidable form right now it was sure that they would not give up easily. And so did it happened. It was an enthralling encounter where both sides tried their level best to keep the other under pressure. Manchester City dominated the first half by pressing on Liverpool.
Phil Foden came close to scoring early in the game but was denied. The first half looked great as the battle was intense. Manchester City had more of ball possession while The Reds worked on more counter-attacking play. Diogo Jota too came close of scoring for Liverpool having a shot on target which Ederson saved when nearing halftime.
There was a high sense of tension and emotions all over the place during the first half. James Milner pushed Foden down on the edge of the box which could have resulted in a penalty for the visitors. However, referee Paul Tierney looked unconvinced on that challenge and was reluctant to have a look at it.
What happened in the next 45 minutes?
The second half started off well for Liverpool and saw them build immense pressure on the Citizens. Then came the moment which the home fans were patiently waiting for. Senegal star Sadio Mane found the back of the net in the 59th minute off a wonderful Mohammed Salah assist.
The English Champions did not hold back as they found the equalizer just after 10 minutes. Phil Foden netted in the ball off an assist from Gabriel Jesus. The fight went on as Mohammed Salah put The Reds back into the lead in the 76th minute with an assist from Curtis Jones. The finish was dazzling to watch.
The sky blues needed some hope to steal back another equalizer and sure enough, they did find it again. They forced an attack into the box. Foden crossed it in and found Kevin De Bruyne who equalized with a goal in the 80th minute that got deflected after hitting Joel Matip. Later, Fabinho got a golden chance of restoring Liverpool’s lead but it was incredibly blocked by Rodrigo Hernandez. Thus the game ended in a 2-2 draw with both the top contenders sharing points.
Liverpool 2 – 2 Manchester City: Post Match Reactions
Jurgen Klopp looked pretty happy with the performance of the boys. He said “the second half was exciting”. He added on and felt that his team could have done much better.
Klopp also praised Mohammed Salah’s brilliant finish. The Reds boss said
“That is one of the best goals and only the best players in the world score such goals”.
When asked about considering the result, Klopp says
“I was happy at the half-time whistle. We accept that Man City were dominant and that our boys did not do much. However, we started the second half on a high note by dominating and making City work for it. If I have to take the second half alone, I would certainly want a win, but along with the first half, I am happy with the result”.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola looked unhappy at a certain period of time during the game. However, he felt that it was a fair tie and it ended well.
What lies next for Liverpool?
The Reds will enjoy a week’s break before travelling to Vicarage Road to play Watford on October 16th, Saturday. It is scheduled to be a lunchtime kickoff. They will then head into the Champions League tie and will travel to Spain to play Atletico Madrid.
