And then, after six unanswered goals, it was down to three points. Pep Guardiola’s description that Liverpool are a “pain in the ass” required the addition of the word “almighty” on Wednesday night as they bulldozed Leeds and took a mega bite into Manchester City’s lead at the Premier League summit.
There was zero sign of anxiety or elevated pressure from those representing the home side on the pitch in a game that took on much greater significance after Harry Kane’s towering 95th-minute header at the Etihad injected life into the title race.
Instead, there was a fury and ferocity to tear into Marcelo Bielsa’s side and cause increased discomfort for City, as told in the first half stats alone: three Liverpool goals, eight shots on target versus none.
The ruthlessness was such that either side of Mohamed Salah’s penalties, a winding Joel Matip run had finally resulted in a fine finish after what seems a lifetime of him trying that.
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