Jürgen Klopp speaks!
And here’s Barney Ronay on a frantic Sunday at the Etihad
David Hytner’s match report has landed, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company - goodnight!
Here’s Gabriel Jesus, who scored a delightful equaliser
“It’s a top opponent – we know they work hard and have a lot of amazing players. We had the chance to win the game but we didn’t take it. We have to win at home so it’s not a good result for us but it was a tough game…. [did you mean the turn for the goal?] Yeah. As an attacker you have to try things – I tried it and I scored a goal.”
Updated
City had the better chances, with Kevin De Bruyne missing a penalty just before half-time. But although the result means they stay in the bottom half of the table, I think Pep Guardiola will be happy enough with the result, and especially with the character his team showed when it looked like Liverpool might overwhelm them at the start of the game. It was a truly brilliant first half, one of the best in English football history. Great sport needs three things: quality, drama and intensity. The first half scored at least 9/10 for all three.
Updated
Full time: Manchester City 1-1 Liverpool
Shaqiri’s free-kick is headed away the Craig Pawson blows the final whistle. A game of two halves – the first sensational, the second cagey – ends with the scores level.
Updated
90+4 min Salah is fouled 30 yards out by Dias, who pleads that he got the ball. He did too - but he probably went through Salah to get it. This might be the last kick of the game...
90+3 min Walker is booked for taking an overzealous shortcut through the back of Wijnaldum. He’s had a bad game.
90+3 min Ederson drives one of his devastating flat passes over the head of Milner towards Sterling, forcing Alisson to charge from his area to head clear. Terrific goalkeeping.
Updated
90+1 min After a patient passing move by City, Gundogan’s clipped cross is claimed with authority by Alisson. He is such a calming influence.
90 min Four added minutes. Both teams look exhausted.
88 min Sterling’s dangerous inswinging cross is headed away well by Gomez on the six-yard line.
87 min Nothing much is happening. It’s almost as if both teams punched themselves out of contention during that spectacular first half. There’s also a whole lotta mutual respect.
Updated
84 min It’s starting to look as if nobody is going to blink first.
82 min An extravagant backheel from Mane almost puts Salah through on goal. Laporte (I think) does brilliantly to stay with Salah and shovel the ball away from danger.
81 min These liveblogs inevitably focus on the highlights, which means the attacking players are mentioned more often, but Gundogan and Mati c p have quietly had excellent games.
Updated
80 min Although Liverpool’s attacking play has been scruffy in the second half, you can never relax against a team with so much individual talent. If I was a City fan I’d be worried that Liverpool are a bit too quiet.
Updated
79 min Gundogan hammers a lovely pass out to Bernardo Silva on the right. He fires a cross into Sterling, who wriggles away from two defenders in the area but can’t get past Matip. Liverpool break and Laporte is booked for a foul on Salah.
78 min De Bruyne’s outswinging corner bounces off an unsighted Liverpool defender, Matip I think, and falls kindly for Alisson.
77 min Bernardo Silva wins a corner off Robertson. At the moment City look the likelier winners, though the smartest money is on the draw.
76 min “Hiya Rob,” says Tom H. “The big-game return of ‘International Bright Young Thing’ Gabriel Jesus Jones was worth the wait.”
Do Jesus Jones qualify as Britpop? Ach, why not, the world’s a more generous place now.
Updated
74 min De Bruyne’s long-range shot is blocked by Wijnaldum. I don’t think the pitch is helping these teams, either; the ball is really holding up.
71 min There’s been a lack of risk from both teams since half-time. It’s still a fascinating game, if nowhere near the excitement of that pulsating first half.
Updated
69 min Salah wins a corner for Liverpool. Nothing comes of it.
66 min I should have said that the substitute Shaqiri has gone to the right wing, with Jota moving infield to play behind Salah in a formation that is somewhere between 4-2-4 and 4-2-3-1.
Updated
65 min It’s been a much bittier second half. I suppose it was too much to expect a repeat of the first 45 minutes.
64 min “Fairly attacking Britpop XI from Mac Millings,” says Matt Dony. “Assuming they’ve scored a few goals, Sleeper Mertesacker is ready to come on and shore up the defence in the last ten minutes or so.”
63 min The injured Alexander-Arnold is replaced by James Milner. He won’t be going away with England this week.
Updated
62 min Alexander-Arnold is down with a calf problem. He pulled up as he was chasing after Sterling a couple of minutes ago, and I suspect he’ll have to go off.
61 min City make their first change: Bernardo Silva replaces Ferran Torres.
61 min Sterling is booked for a late tackle on Matip. The pitch is really heavy now because of all the rain, which adds another element to this fascinating match.
60 min: No penalty! Cancelo’s arms were slightly tighter to his body than Gomez’s in the first half, though there wasn’t much in it.
59 min Jota’s snapshot hits Cancelo, and there’s another appeal for a penalty. This might be given as well.
Updated
59 min The first substitution: the in-form Xherdan Shaqiri replaces Roberto Firmino.
58 min Alexander-Arnold’s long pass towards Mane is intercepted by Walker, who knocks it past his own goalkeeper Ederson but has more than enough time and pace to get back and run the ball to safety.
Updated
57 min After good play from Jesus, De Bruyne’s long-range shot dips just over the bar. It was a lovely strike, though Alisson had it covered.
56 min At the other end, Firmino shoots high over the bar from the left side of the box.
55 min: Jesus misses an excellent chance! City should be ahead. Joao Cancelo cut inside from the left and lofted a fine pass over the defence. Jesus made an excellent run off the back of Gomez but headed fractionally wide from eight yards.
54 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “As usual, Mac Millings is on the money with his Britpop XI. Am due to see Gareth Bale’s Supergrass in Glasgow next year, Covid-19 permitting. And although Suede might not agree, Marcus Trashford must be on the subs bench..?”
53 min A quiet spell in the game. No, really.
51 min “With bars being closed I can’t watch the match, but I gather from my Sunday league team group chat that there’s something wrong with KDB’s facial hair,” says Harry Stopes. “’Set himself up for failure with that facial hair, it’s simple karma,’ says our goalkeeper-slash-forward. Intrigued as to what he’s referring to and interested to get your take.”
Well, erm, he’s got hair on his face. It looks like a standard ginger beard, about eight days’ growth. I know about these things.
Updated
50 min: Ederson saves from Jota! This is great stuff. Salah’s deflected shot was punched away nervously by Ederson, who should have caught it or pushed it away from danger. Instead he gave it straight to Jota, whose slightly tame shot was comfortably saved by a relieved Ederson.
Updated
49 min After good play from Jota and Mane, Robertson’s fierce cross is pushed away by the diving Ederson. City break dangerously through De Bruyne, whose low cross is well claimed by Alisson.
47 min De Bruyne is limping after that tackle from Matip. It looks like a problem with his left ankle, though he’s going to try to run it off.
46 min Matip is booked for a late tackle on De Bruyne. That looked a bit harsh.
46 min Please sir, can we have some more?
“Rob dearest,” says Mac Millings. “Further to my discovery, earlier today, that Gareth Bale was every member of Supergrass, I have compiled an all-time Britpop XI.
- David De Geamember the First Time?
- Alan Ballright
- Sorted For E’s & Muzzy Izzet
- Song 2 Heung-min
- Christian by the Fuchs
- Wake up Capoue!
- Kingsley Coman People
- Isco 2000
- Dunk Lookman and Wagner
- Cigarettes and Alcoholgate
- Cengiz Ünderwall
Half-time reading
Half time: Manchester City 1-1 Liverpool
That was wonderful. Liverpool, with a modern take on 4-2-4, swarmed all over City at the start and took the lead through Mo Salah’s penalty. City worked their way back into the game, with Gabriel Jesus scoring an outstanding equaliser after turning Trent Alexander-Arnold in a space the size of a phonebox. City were then given a penalty for handball (sic) by Joe Gomez, but Kevin De Bruyne dragged it wide. No, really.
Updated
45+2 min Alexander-Arnold cracks it a few yards over the bar.
Updated
45+2 min Liverpool win a free-kick 25 yards from goal. It’s slightly to the right of centre, though you’d still fancy Alexander-Arnold to take it. Salah and Henderson are also there.
Updated
45+1 min Torres’s dangerous cross is beautifully held by Alisson. There will be three added minutes. Can we have three added hours please?
44 min: Big save from Ederson! This is a quite glorious football match. Mane and Salah combine to find the overlapping Alexander-Arnold, in space on the right of the area. His vicious shot is blocked by Ederson, but the ball wriggles under his body towards the line. Jota is this close to reaching it before Ederson dives on the ball.
Updated
43 min That handball law needs to be changed quicksmart. “I reckon you and John Terry would have given away 40 penalties a season - at least,” says Gary Neville to Jamie Carragher.
43 min Kevin De Bruyne has just missed a penalty, it says here, but that can’t be right.
DE BRUYNE MISSES THE PENALTY!
42 min Unbelievable! He sent Alisson the wrong way but dragged the penalty just wide of the left-hand post.
Updated
41 min: PENALTY GIVEN! It’s a load of nonsense, but under the current interpretation of the law it was always going to be a penalty.
Updated
41 min The ball hit Gomez around the elbow and, though he was trying to pull his arm away, it was extended. I think this will be given. The referee Craig Pawson has gone to look at the monitor.
39 min: VAR CHECK FOR A CITY PENALTY! De Bruyne’s cross hits Gomez on the arm, and City want a penalty. This will be checked, and I suspect it’ll be given.
Updated
39 min City have responded admirably to this test of character, because most teams would have gone under in the first 20 minutes.
36 min The skill and speed of thought of Jesus’s goal would have done Romario proud. He received the ball with his back to goal, 10 yards out, and Alexander-Arnold tightish to him. Then, in a blur of movement, he touched the ball behind his standing leg and away from Alexander-Arnold before spinning round to poke it past Alisson. Just brilliant.
Updated
35 min A tame 20-yard shot from Jota dribbles wide.
33 min De Bruyne finds space 25 yards from goal and spanks a superb shot just wide of the far post.
If Jesus meant this, it was brilliant. Rodri sprayed a pass out to Walker on the right, and he fed it into De Bruyne on the edge of the D. He slipped it into the area towards Jesus, who turned Alexander-Arnold with his first touch and poked the ball past Alisson with his second. I’m not sure whether he meant the turn or whether he miscontrolled the ball and reacted smartly. The more I see it, the more I think he meant it.
Updated
GOAL! Man City 1-1 Liverpool (Jesus 31)
Gabriel Jesus scores a superb equaliser!
Updated
29 min “Quite a battle out there between Sterling and Trent,” says Rick McGahey. “Sterling’s pace and control are unreal, he has outrun Trent (no slow poke) several times. As a Liverpool fan I miss him but really admire how his game has improved. City’s are attacking down his side a lot, hoping they can catch Trent too far forward on the attack.”
Sterling is admirably irrepressible. No matter what’s going on in a game, or how poor his record against a certain opponent (ie Liverpool) might be, he always wants the ball and tries to make something happen.
27 min Sadio Mane is the best player in the world, discuss.
25 min: Big save from Alisson! That was a great chance for Sterling. Wijnaldum faffed in midfield and was robbed by De Bruyne. Torres gave the ball back to De Bruyne, who curled a typical low cross around the defence from the right. It was in front of Jesus but came to Sterling beyond the far post. He took his time and swept a shot that was blocked by Alisson, with Matip hooking the loose ball to safety. Jesus wanted Sterling to tee him up instead of shooting. He probably had a point, because Alisson gave Sterling very little to aim at.
Updated
24 min Gary Neville makes the good point that Salah and especially Firmino are blocking passes into Rodri and Gundogan in midfield. City have still had 57 per cent of the possession but they’ve struggled to find their usual rhythm.
23 min “4-2-4 was always my preferred formation when I played Subbuteo a lot in the 1970s,” says Phil Grey. “Great to see it making a comeback.”
Mine was 4-2-3, because somEBODY DELIBERATELY STOOD ON MY LEFT WINGER.
22 min Mane robs Rodri on the halfway line and Liverpool break three on three. Salah surges to the edge of the area and plays the ball back to Mane, whose cross is put behind for a corner by Dias.
Updated
21 min It’s a more even game now, with City having plenty of the ball. Matip makes an excellent sliding interception to stop Sterling running clear onto Gundogan’s pass.
Updated
20 min Mane, who has started the game gloriously, wins an important defensive header in his own area and then draws a foul from Torres.
19 min De Bruyne is playing further up the pitch now, almost as a second striker with Jesus. It’s the battle of 4-2-4!
18 min Walker’s tackle on Mane diverts the ball to Henderson, who shoots well wide from 22 yards.
17 min De Bruyne’s free-kick from the right misses everyone in the middle. There’s a quick VAR check to see whether Laporte was fouled by Mane. He wasn’t.
Updated
16 min It’s pelting down in Manchester. That’s all.
15 min “Hi Rob,” says Gary Naylor. “Liverpool’s team reminds me of a Jackson Pollock painting. Sometimes you look and you wait and the beauty and the coherence in its conception and execution dawns on you - and you wonder why everyone can’t see it. And sometimes you look and you wait and... nothing.”
14 min It’s been a ferocious start from Liverpool, with and without the ball. This is already a serious test of City’s character.
Updated
GOAL! Manchester City 0-1 Liverpool (Salah 13 pen)
Salah curls the ball into the bottom-left corner. Ederson went the right way but got nowhere near it.
Updated
11 min: PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL! Mane produces a blistering turn to cut inside Walker, who makes a desperately tackle from the wrong side and brings him down. A clear penalty - but City are angry that it ultimately stemmed from that foul on Sterling at the other end.
Updated
11 min Rodri plays a good pass out to Sterling on the left. He runs at Alexander-Arnold before being barged over by Jota on the edge of the area. Sterling tried to stay on his feet and then lost his balance, which meant he didn’t get the free-kick. Things like that are an incentive to dive.
Updated
9 min Henderson makes an excellent block tackle on De Bruyne, 30 yards from goal. City are starting to have more of the ball though.
7 min City are struggling to get out of their half. It’s been a scintillating start from Liverpool.
Updated
6 min Actually, I’d like to revise the revision - Firmino is playing right up front alongside Salah. “It’s a 4-2-4!” says Gary Neville on Sky.
6 min These are the revised line-ups:
Manchester City (4-3-3) Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Rodri, Gundogan; Torres, Jesus, Sterling.
Substitutes: Steffen, Stones, Ake, Zinchenko, Garcia, Bernardo, Foden.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Gomez, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum; Jota, Firmino, Mane; Salah.
Substitutes: Adrian, Phillips, Milner, Keita, Jones, Shaqiri, Origi.
4 min Robertson’s cross is just too far in front of Salah, who was free at the far post. This is already tremendous stuff.
3 min Liverpool have made an extremely aggressive start, almost like the game is being played in front of a full house at Anfield. That might suit City as well given their ability on the break. This won’t end 0-0, I’ll tell you that for nowt.
2 min City are playing their usual 4-3-3, not the 4-2-3-1 that Pep Guardiola sometimes prefers in this fixture. Liverpool are playing 4-2-3-1: Jota right, Mane left, Firmino behind Salah.
1 min: Chance for Liverpool! Firmino almost gives Liverpool the lead after 48 seconds. He ran onto a speculative long pass from Alexander-Arnold and tried to go round Ederson, who got a vital touch on the ball. It ricocheted off Firmino and behind for a goalkick.
Updated
1 min Peep peep! Liverpool, in red, kick off from right to left. City are in sky blue.
The players gather around the centre circle for the Remembrace Sunday tribute. Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola both lay wreaths by the side of the pitch before the Last Post is played by a rifleman named Curtis Jones.
Liverpool stroll onto the field, with Trent Alexander-Arnold absent-mindedly supping a can of Red Bull. City’s players follow them; I’m disappointed to report that none of them were swigging a can of Monster Energy Ultra.
“Liverpool and Man City guarantee entertainment, individually and even more as a unit,” says Tom Colohue. “I’m thrilled to see both teams continue their tradition of going straight for the jugular.”
Four defenders on the bench though.
And here’s Pep Guardiola
“I’m very happy with Ferran Torres - his desire, enthusiasm and work ethic. We thought [Liverpool] might play [all four forwards]. We’ll see how they set up but it’s up to us to adapt and impose our game.”
Liverpool’s recent league record at the Etihad is poor, with 5-0 and 4-0 defeats in their last three visits, though there were mitigating circumstances for both. Sadio Mane was sent off early in the 5-0, and the 4-0 kicked off approximately 12 minutes after Liverpool had finished their title celebrations.
“Mr Klopp is really spoiling us!” coos Ian Copestake. It’s a fascinating team selection but also a risky one. If Liverpool lose everyone will say it’s down to him picking all four forwards, whether that’s actually the case or not.
Here’s Jurgen Klopp
“I thought it made sense [to play Jota and Firmino]. I wanted their quality on the pitch. If you want to get something here you have to be really brave - it’s an offensive line-up but if everybody is doing their job it’s an even more defensive, solid formation.”
Updated
“Good afternoon Rob!” says Drew Gough. “Really looking forward to today’s game, which I’ll be watching from an Irish pub in Lisbon. A penny for the thoughts of Takumi Minamino, who isn’t in the squad today. He was looking in decent form in the cup games, and I thought was developing into a pretty reasonable Firmino replacement. But now Shaqiri seems to be back in a groove, so it’s hard to see him getting into any meaningful games for a while, barring injuries.”
Life at big clubs is brutal these days – it’s a struggle to get in the XVIII, never mind the XI.
Updated
Leicester beat Wolves 1-0 in the 2pm game. Jamie Vardy scored one penalty and had another saved by Rui Patricio, but Leicester held on to move top of the Premier League - at least for the next few hours. Liverpool will become the fourth league leaders of the weekend if they win at the Etihad.
Updated
Pre-match reading
Team news
Pep Guardiola has dropped Riyad Mahrez from the City squad, never mind the team. He also has four defenders on the bench, which is a bit peculiar. Maybe he’s planning to take the lead and then switch to nine at the back.
Jurgen Klopp has solved the Firmino/Jota problem by picking them both in a mouthwatering attack. Joel Matip also returns from injury in defence.
Manchester City (possible 4-2-3-1) Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; Rodri, Gundogan; Torres, De Bruyne, Sterling; Jesus.
Substitutes: Steffen, Stones, Ake, Zinchenko, Garcia, Bernardo, Foden.
Liverpool (possible 4-2-3-1) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Gomez, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum; Jota, Firmino, Mane; Salah.
Substitutes: Adrian, Phillips, Milner, Keita, Jones, Shaqiri, Origi.
Referee Craig Pawson.
Updated
This could make things interesting
The stage is set! (And potentially wet) ☔️💪
— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 8, 2020
C'MON CITY!! 💙
🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klUGiM pic.twitter.com/zBc73OFtco
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Manchester City v Liverpool, the biggest and best game in English football. A year ago this weekend, on an exhilarating afternoon at Anfield, Liverpool stuffed City 3-1 to move eight points clear at the top of the table. It was obvious, even with 26 games to go, that they were going to win their first title since 1990. While a win for either team today will not have quite the same impact, it would be a profound statement of intent to win the 2020-21 Premier League. For all the endearing early season weirdness - stop the count! - the strong likelihood is that one of these teams will be top in May.
This is probably a more important game for City - not because they are at home (if anything, given the nature of Covid football, Liverpool have the away advantage), but because they have had a subdued start to the season. City are 12th and, though they have games in hand, they have not started the season with the murderous purpose that most of us expected. They need three points today; more than that, they need a performance that shows they can still reach the awesome heights on 2017-19.
Kick off 4.30pm.
Updated
