Foden.
Klopp.
That’s it for tonight’s blog. I’ll leave you with Dave Hytner’s match report - goodnight!
Here’s Jurgen Klopp
“For big parts of the game we were brilliant – we played really good football. [To the interviewer] I can see in your eyes you see it differently. I really liked our performance in the first half. At the start of the second half, City changed system and we didn’t give enough options to play and then gave the first goal away.
“We scored the equaliser and in that moment it looked like the game could go our way, and then we make two massive mistakes – everyone saw them. We were really down after that, it’s tough to take, and then Foden scored the fourth goal with a genius situation.
“The performance was good most of the time. Really, really good. If we had played like this more often we would not be 10 points behind City.
“There’s no real explanation for Alisson’s errors. In the first one we didn’t give him many options, but the second one he just mishit the ball. Maybe he had cold feet or something. It sounds funny but it could be. Ali saved our life plenty of times, and tonight he made two mistakes – that’s how it is.
“We will try everything to finish in the top four. We have to win games and tonight we didn’t.”
Liverpool have lost three consecutive league games at Anfield for the first time since 1963. Before that they were unbeaten for almost four years.
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Here’s Phil Foden, who was two years old when City last won at Anfield
“We showed the courage to play our football and in the end it paid off. Sometimes we’re slow to get going and I think we were better in the second half. We definitely forced the errors, and that’s something we’ve been working on in training. [Could you have struck your goal any better?] No. I struck it perfect and I was just pleased to see it go in.
“This gives us every chance of winning the league, but the job isn’t done. We just need to keep winning games.”
Great teams can collapse suddenly - it happened to the Invincibles - but I don’t think this is the end of Liverpool. It’s been a bit of a perfect storm - injuries, fatigue, low confidence, no crowds, a slight change in style - and they are young enough to bounce back next season.
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Full time: Liverpool 1-4 Manchester City
Peep peep! Manchester City end their Anfield hoodoo and Liverpool’s title challenge with a thumping victory. They were the better team, with Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling excellent, but the game turned on two extraordinary mistakes from Alisson in the 73rd and 76th minutes. Ilkay Gundogan also scored twice and missed a penalty in a surreal game. The upshot is that City go five points clear of Manchester United with a game in hand. They will take some catching now.
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90+1 min There will be three minutes of added existential angst for Liverpool.
90 min This will be City’s first win at Anfield since 2003. They haven’t actually played that well, they had Ilkay Gundogan blooter a penalty into Stanley Park, and they are still winning 4-1.
89 min “If Robertson and Henderson have a scrap with each other away to Leipzig,” says Niall Mullen, “Liverpool’s 95-96 Blackburn tribute act will be complete.”
88 min “Hello Rob,” says Geoff Wignall. “Now I know Liverpool are about to romp to another title, by ten or so points, because I always believe what I read a) in The Guardian and b) online. I’m just a bit puzzled by their strategy for achieving that. Any elucidation you can offer?”
It was a prediction. Have been they cancelled as well?
87 min Liverpool are passing the ball around, trying to get the match over with as soon as possible.
86 min “Liverpool hasn’t won many matches with Thiago,” says Barry Owens. “Coincidental as opposed to causation I’m sure.”
I think there is a worrying whiff of Juan Veron and the golden goose about Thiago, though he’s far from the only reason for their collapse. They need to get Henderson back in midfield, for one thing.
85 min Andy Robertson is replaced by Kostas Tsimikas.
84 min Alexander-Arnold leaves one on Ederson, a gratuitous tackle that leads to a bit of finger-pointing.
Pick that out! It started when Jesus floated a pass out to Foden on the right. He ran at Robertson, hugging the ball on his left foot. Then, in the blink of an eye, he shifted it inside and spanked a spectacular shot that went through the hand of Alisson. There was barely any backlift, yet Foden hit it so well that Alisson was still beaten for pace.
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GOAL! Liverpool 1-4 Man City (Foden 83)
Phil Foden caps a majestic second-half performance with a blistering goal!
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81 min I still can’t believe that. Two diabolical howlers from Alisson, the best goalkeeper in the world, in the space of four minutes. It’s not especially fair, but they may come to symbolise Liverpool’s increasingly farcical title defence.
80 min “No doubt it was a penalty, Rob, but Salah seemed to throw himself a bit in order to exaggerate the contact?” says Simon McMahon. “I’ve no problem with that, but a Celtic player just this week has been banned for two games (subject to appeal) for something similar, in as much as that while there may have been contact (and a penalty awarded in both cases), the Celtic player was cited for simulation after the initial contact. Sorry, I’m confusing myself now. VAR is great though, isn’t, it?”
This is utterly bizarre. Alisson, under no real pressure, passed the ball straight to Bernardo Silva on the right edge of the area. He ran infield and scooped the ball over Alisson, allowing Sterling to head into the net from a yard. What the hell has just happened?
GOAL! Liverpool 1-3 Man City (Sterling 76)
Alisson has done it again!
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That was bizarre. Alisson had already given the ball away 20 seconds earlier when he hooked a clearance straight to Foden, 25 yards from goal in the inside-right channel. Foden went straight for the throat, slipping gracefully between Henderson and Robertson in the area before stabbing the ball across to Gundogan. He rammed it into the roof of the net from close range. It’s Gundogan’s second goal, but Foden deserves so much credit for his devastating run and pass.
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GOAL! Liverpool 1-2 Man City (Gundogan 73)
Gundogan gets his second after a howler from Alisson!
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73 min Foden has moved to the right, which is a surprise as he’s been excellent in the second half.
73 min “My friend had to explain every United fan’s hope for a 0-0 to his son yesterday: you want City to lose, but you never went Liverpool to win,” says Mark Childs. “Good parenting: teaching your child the pettiness of being a supporter.”
72 min A City substitution: Gabriel Jesus replaces the largely anonymous Riyad Mahrez.
72 min: NO GOAL! VAR confirms Stones was offside.
71 min: Stones has a goal disallowed! It’s very tight but I think he was just offside when he volleyed Foden’s cross past Alisson. VAR are checking.
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70 min Fabinho, who wasn’t booked when he gave away the penalty, is booked now for pulling back Foden.
69 min The increasingly influential Sterling crosses dangerously towards Foden, who goes over after a challenge from behind by Robertson. The ball rolls back to Bernardo Silva, who blasts a half-volley wide from 20 yards. There were no penalty appeals from City and, while I don’t think it was a foul, it was a risky challenge from Robertson.
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68 min A draw is still a decent result for City, less so for Liverpool. With that in mind, Jurgen Klopp is making a double substitution: Xherdan Shaqiri and James Milner replace Thiago, who looked a little lost, and the impressive Curtis Jones.
64 min On the possible Dias red card, there was another defender coming across, so a yellow card was probably fair enough. But it also makes you wonder whether Dias really needed to pull Salah back. I suppose it was just panic.
64 min “I was going to point out that this was just as dull for non-neutrals, but that was clearly too much temptation for the football gods,” wrote Liz Rippin when the score was 1-0. “Now I’m probably going to have to ritually sacrifice one of the cats.”
I’m glad Mo Salah has given Piechnik a last-minute reprieve.
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GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Man City (Salah 63 pen)
Salah smashes the ball into the net!
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PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL! Ruben Dias makes a mess of a clearance on the edge of the area and then pulls back Salah. Another clear penalty. Dias is booked - but surely that’s a red card under the David Luiz Law?
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59 min “Getting desperate,” says Matt Dony. “Null and void?”
This season and last? If you really insist.
58 min: Just wide from Jones! That was good play from Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold sprayed a lovely crossfield pass out to Jones on the left. He ran through Cancelo’s challenge and sidefooted a low shot that deflected just wide of the far post.
58 min It’s been a game of subtle moodswings, and at the moment City look much more confident.
56 min “When a goal goes in can you add the suffix NCOV to denote ‘No Chance of VAR’ so I don’t put too much emotional energy in hoping it will be disallowed,” says Ben Bennett. “A little gift to the hopeful/hopeless.”
There’s always a chance of VAR, even after the final whistle.
55 min Jones shoots over from 30 yards.
55 min If City win this they will be five points clear of Manchester United with a game in hand. It’s hard to see them losing that sort of lead, especially while they are only conceding one goal every month.
54 min Liverpool went almost four years without losing a league game at Anfield; now they are facing a third consecutive defeat. Verily, it is a funny old game.
53 min “Huge MBM mistake, very embarrassing,” says Oliver Forrest. “Hate to be a pedant (actually I love it obviously) but Stanley Park is on the Anfield Road side of Anfield, not the Kop side, so Gundogan actually blootered his penalty in the vague region of the Rupert Lane Recreation Ground.”
My point exactly.
52 min City have made a superb start to the second half. Foden bursts down the left and clips a cross that just evades the unmarked Sterling at the far post.
Raheem Sterling started it with a good run infield from the left. He beat Alexander-Arnold far too easily and slid a square pass to Foden, six yards from goal. His low shot was brilliantly saved to his left by Alisson, but Gundogan gobbled up the rebound with considerable glee.
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GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Man City (Gundogan 49)
Ilkay Gundogan, who missed a penalty in the first half, has given City the lead!
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48 min There are fireworks galore going off outside the ground. “Is it still tier 2 round here?” sniffs Gary Neville on Sky.
48 min “Are you United fans lustily cheering the Reds on today?” asks Niall Mullen. “Or is it a bridge too far?”
Truthfully, I’m dead inside so I couldn’t really care.
47 min Pep Guardiola has switched to a 4-4-2, with Bernardo Silva moving up front alongside Phil Foden.
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47 min “Hallo Rob,” says Shane O’Leary. “Entertaining as this epic clash is, the real question on every quivering lip is... which water is the dullest, ditch or dish? I think we should be told.”
I’d say ditch, unless you have very strange culinary preferences.
46 min Mane tries to slide a through pass to Salah, and Zinchenko comes across to make a good interception.
46 min Peep peep! Liverpool begin the second half.
Half-time pluggery
S4 Ep6 is here. Part 1 of our deep dive into Kevin Keegan's England and long chat about player of the pod, Gianfranco Zolahttps://t.co/Td2eUp1enl
— Nessun Dorma Podcast (@nessundormapod) February 5, 2021
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“I wasn’t expecting a classic from these two but for the neutrals that first half was as dull as dishwater,” says Rick Harris. “Both managers will be relieved it is still 0-0 but for different reasons. Has to be a better second half surely?”
I wouldn’t bet on it; it could be as dull as ditchwater.
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Half-time reading
Half time: Liverpool 0-0 Manchester City
Peep peep! A surprisingly cautious half ends goalless. Liverpool were probably the better side, though City missed the best chance when Ilkay Gundogan blootered a penalty into Stanley Park.
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45+1 min Two minutes of added caution.
45 min Alexander-Arnold’s corner is headed straight at Alisson by Mane, who was running away from goal and did well just to steer it on target.
45 min In fact Thiago takes it, and his clipped free-kick hits the top of the wall and goes behind for a corner.
43 min Firmino clips a good pass to Mane, who is fouled just outside the area by Cancelo. The free-kick is to the left of centre, so probably one for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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42 min City still haven’t had a shot on target.
41 min Liverpool appeal unsuccesssfully for a penalty when Salah’s shot hits the arm of Rodri. I think it was outside the area anyway, and there is no VAR intervention.
38 min Kevin De Bruyne also missed a penalty in the return fixture.
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GUNDOGAN MISSES!
He’s blasted it over the bar, just like Riyad Mahrez on this ground two years ago!
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It was a clear penalty. Sterling ran at Alexander-Arnold and then Fabinho, who dangled a trailing leg and brought Sterling down.
PENALTY TO CITY! It has changed again now - Sterling has been tripped by Fabinho!
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34 min The mood of the match has definitely changed. Liverpool look much more purposeful than they did at the start, with Alexander-Arnold and Robertson more influential.
33 min Zinchenko miscontrols the ball behind for a corner, a really sloppy piece of play. Robertson’s corner is headed away by Rodri.
30 min City break from the resulting corner, and for a moment it looks like Foden is going to run the length of the field. He pokes the ball past the last man Alexander-Arnold on the halfway line, but Jones gets back to cover.
29 min Liverpool have been better in the last five or six minutes. Henderson drives a long pass towards Salah that is headed away by Dias. Firmino runs round the bouncing ball on the edge of the area and welts a shot that is pushed over by Ederson. It was a comfortable save.
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28 min Gundogan overhits the resulting free-kick and the ball drifts out for a throw-in.
27 min Foden aplays a crisp pass out to Mahrez, who runs at the last man Henderson and is clipped from behind by Mane. He might have been booked for that.
24 min: Chance for Mane! That’s more like it. Alexander-Arnold moves smoothly away from Zinchenko and fizzes a cross towards the near post, where Mane gets in front of Joao Cancelo but heads over. That was a decent, if sharp, chance.
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24 min The stats show there has been one attempt on goal, by City, and I can’t even remember that.
23 min Most of the match has been played at walking pace, a total contrast to the first half of the return fixture. That was wild and thrilling; this is not.
21 min Liverpool are unrecognisable from the team that destroyed allcomers last season. Their tempo is far too slow and they are clearly bereft of confidence.
19 min Salah slips, allowing Zinchenko to nick the ball 25 yards from goal. He gives it to Sterling on the left of the box, but he is crowded out.
16 min City’s sterile domination continues. It’s been an intriguing start rather than an exciting one.
14 min Thiago plays a good ball out to Robertson on the left. He swings in a deep cross that is claimed on the stretch by Ederson.
13 min Liverpool look nervous, a little desperate even, and City must feel this is a great chance to put them away. The first goal, always crucial, feels even more important today.
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10 min “Nearly 10 minutes in now and neither side has troubled the keeper,” says Rick Harris. “It’s looking like the 0-0 stinker we were all secretly expecting.”
Pablo Honey, the first season of Seinfeld, Pulp’s first decade, Blackadder.
9 min “Thiago, the bookable Scholes,” says Niall Mullen.
Scholes usually went straight to the red card.
8 min Both teams have made a watchful start. City look more confident, as you’d expect, and have had most of the possession.
7 min “I love him and he is brilliant but that’s a red from Thiago,” says Ruth Purdue. “He could’ve broken his ankle. Cynical and reckless, but they’d never give it a red.”
It was a poor tackle from the wrong side, but I didn’t think it was cynical. I thought a yellow was fair enough, though I’d like to see it again now.
6 min Gundogan seems to be okay, which is very good news for City.
4 min Thiago was very apologetic after the tackle, which was ill-conceived rather than malicious.
4 min It’s his left ankle, in fact. He’s going to continue but he’s moving a little gingerly.
3 min Thiago is booked for a poor tackle on Gundogan. This is a worry for City, because Gundogan is in a lot of pain. It looks like his right ankle.
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2 min A poor kick from Ederson goes straight to Mane, 30 yards from goal, but City have enough defenders back to see off any danger.
1 min Phil Foden has started as the false nine for City, with Sterling on the left and Mahrez on the right. Liverpool’s formation is as expected.
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1 min Peep peep! City kick off from left to right.
Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola greet each other with a fistbump, a hug and a steadfast refusal to acknowledge the elephant on the touchline.
It’s almost time for kick off. This is a huge game.
“If we’re sharing Fall videos,” says Kári Tulinius, “I figured I might share one of my faves, Mark E. Smith reading the football results, sometime in 2005 or 06. My favourite bit is towards the end, when Smith, for some unknown reason, starts questioning the presenter’s choice of hairstyles.”
And here’s Pep Guardiola
“Listen, when you analyse the results it’s one thing, when you analyse the performances it’s another. I never see the results when I analyse an opponent – I see what they do, how they are… [We can’t think], ‘Okay, they are below us in the table, no need to work, we will beat them.’ The teams have different styles, and we will see who is able to impose theirs.”
“PRE-MATCH LISTENING” whispers Phil Podolsky.
It’s a belter, that, my favourite song of theirs apart from Bill Is Dead.
Here’s Jurgen Klopp
“They [the two new centre-backs] have only had four sessions, so they were never going to start. Against City you have to defend a lot, that’s clear, but you have to play football as well and the two centre-halves [Fabinho and Henderson] are pretty good at that.
“Proper defending and brave football is what we want today. Keep them busy doing things they don’t want to do. They are so good in possession but we love playing against possession teams, because it gives you a chance to win the ball from time to time. Hopefully there will be other moments when we are in possession and can create ourselves.”
Liverpool are seven points behind City, having played a game more, so a draw isn’t much use to them. And if City win, the entire title race is probably done.
Pre-match reading
“I don’t know if the match will live up to the pre-game hype but oh what drama,” says Mary Waltz. “Liverpool has to win, City can realistically end the defending champs chances to repeat. Klopp’s confidence seems gone, Pep is confident enough to accuse Klopp of making excuses for his failures. Bring it on!”
Those comments from Pep was pretty interesting, weren’t they.
Team news
Alisson, Fabinho and Sadio Mane all return to the Liverpool team, while the new signing Ozan Kabak is on the bench. Pep Guardiola, who usually does something funky at Anfield, has brought Phil Foden in for Gabriel Jesus. That means one of Foden, Raheem Sterling or Riyad Mahrez will play as a false nine.
Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Henderson, Robertson; Thiago, Wijnaldum, Jones; Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Substitutes: Adrian, Kabak, Tsimikas, Phillips, N Williams, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shaqiri, Origi.
Manchester City (4-3-3) Ederson; Joao Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko; Silva, Rodri, Gundogan; Mahrez, Foden, Sterling.
Substitutes: Steffen, Laporte, Mendy, Garcia, Fernandinho, Doyle, Bernabe, Jesus, Torres.
Referee Michael Oliver.
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Preamble
It’s a big day in the north, love. Liverpool v Manchester City is the best rivalry in English football since the early 2000s, and this match is fully loaded with significance and subplots. Liverpool probably need to win to have any chance of retaining their title, while City are chasing a two-for-one deal: a first win at Anfield since 2003, and the added bonus of eliminating their most dangerous challenger from the title race.
On current form, it’s the resistible force against the immovable object. Liverpool haven’t scored at home for almost six hours, a bizarre run of form for a team who were unstoppable at Anfield for so long, while City have conceded only two goals in their last 13 league games. But Liverpool’s front three have some extremely happy memories of playing City at Anfield, including the devastating 3-1 win in this fixture a year ago. If this game can’t bring the band back together, then nothing will.
Kick off 4.30pm.
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