Man City 1 – 1 Liverpool

Kevin De Bruyne put aside a penalty in the first half as Manchester City failed to close the gap over Liverpool after a lively 1-1 draw at Etihad Stadium.

Liverpool prepared for an early blitz and scored their first goal with the Mohamed Salah penalty after Kyle Walker dropped a knee on Sadio Mane (13), but City found the pace and equalized while Gabriel Jesus hit under Alisson (31) after a wonderful touch for his sixth goal in seven Premier League games.

At first out of breath, City then won a controversial penalty from VAR after Joe Gomez managed De Bruyne’s cross, but the Belgian gave us a collector’s item as he hit the spot wide (42) .

Liverpool then retired in a two-half game – Jesus’ unsigned header to the side the only clear chance – and remained at the same level as Jurgen Klopp’s side failed to climb to the top of the Premier League, but retained the five-point leader over City, who have a game in hand.

How the points were shared in the tale of two halves

This first half has been 45 minutes of football for centuries, the level of “world class” attack according to Gary Neville, as the top two Premier League teams in recent years have gone all-around.

Jurgen Klopp insisted before kick-off that his side would be brave at Etihad, and he was true to his word when Liverpool burst from the blocks with what became a 4-2-4 on the ball.

And they got the goal their early energy deserved when Walker stretched a knee to catch Mane on the left of the area after a nice Liverpool build game, and Salah’s spot kick was too strong for Ederson, despite guessing. correctly to its right.

City weren’t happy, though, in eerily similar events to last season’s Anfield clash, when a City handball shout preceded Liverpool opening.

Forty-five seconds before the goal from the other side, Raheem Sterling had been pushed to the edge of the area by Diogo Jota, but as the incident was not within the penalty area and at a much earlier stage of play, it is not been revised. by VAR.

After Sterling’s effort from an acute angle was blocked well by Alisson, City began to spot gaps in Liverpool’s midfield.

Georginio Wijnaldum was pulled out of position, meaning De Bruyne could feed Jesus in the box, and his sublime touch on the turn – the Brazilian later claimed he really wanted it – allowed him to gain a yard over Trent Alexander-Arnold. and hit under Alisson from eight yards before Joel Matip could block.

The VAR was then involved to add to the drama when Gomez blocked De Bruyne’s cross with his hand into the box, awarded by referee Anthony Taylor after consulting the sideline monitor.

It’s been an unusual season in the Premier League so far, but the sight of De Bruyne pulling out his penalty was the most bizarre.

The second half was more measured as both sides desperately sought control; Jesus missed a good chance to give City the lead, going wide without scoring after Joao Cancelo brilliantly found him behind Liverpool’s defense.

Alexander-Arnold was then forced to leave a troubling calf injury, replaced by James Milner, and Liverpool’s pass became sloppy as City worked to force a winner that would get them within two points of the champions.

Liverpool looked more comfortable with a draw, settling back into a 4-4-2 when Roberto Firmino was replaced by Xherdan Shaqiri, and remained cautious and cautious as the match dwindled.

In a season with no certainty, this two-time game has somehow gone to prove that these two teams remain heavyweights, even in losing their key players. But as City remain in the lower half, it is clear that this was a better result for the Liverpool champions.

Was Gomez’s handball tough?

Liverpool’s Joe Gomez on Sky Sports:

“Personally, it’s frustrating. At that moment I was running towards the goal, I’m not going to run with my hands behind my back. I’m not going to contest the ball by hitting my hand, but I didn’t. Try handball.

“It’s frustrating for the referee to come over and watch him in slow motion when De Bruyne hit him as hard as he can. He made a decision, that’s it, and I had to accept it, but there’s enough conversation going on about that rule. minute. “

Carra: Lost chance for Liverpool?

Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports:

“Liverpool were great at the start, and that was the moment you thought they had to go ahead and win the game, because City are too good to be dominated by anyone for the whole game.

“I just think about how many opportunities Liverpool have had in terms of dangerous situations, but they never got that chance where you thought you had to score. They never capitalized on that first half hour and dominance they had and, in some ways, the game ran out.

“I don’t think City were anywhere near their best at any stage, really. I just think Liverpool’s energy levels dropped slightly in the second half. City dominated possession without ever looking like a goal.”

Keane: Walker will never learn

Roy Keane on Sky Sports:

“The wager was stupid and crazy, but the second part of dangling a leg … he knows he’s going to give a penalty away. I’ve watched it over the years, and he’s got it in the locker.

“He’s got that stupidity, he can make stupid decisions and when he combined his first mistake with his second, I wasn’t surprised.

“Some of his defenses over the years have been shocking. He’s been in his best shape for the past few months, but he’s 30 and doing the same stupid things. He’ll never learn.”

What the managers said …

Chief of Man City Pep Guardiola: “Close game. They started well, we conceded goals and then we took the game. He was tight. In the second half we had the clearest chances. But a draw is a fair result.”

On the need for five substitutions: “Look, England international player, Trent Alexander-Arnold, is injured. So, all over the world there are five substitutions, but here we believe we are more special people. We don’t protect players, which is why It’s a disaster. In this calendar, especially. I’ll ask, if people allow it, to go back to five substitutions.

Head of Liverpool Jurgen Klopp: “Super football match to be honest, from all points of view. Two top teams, ready for a massive battle, the energy level of both teams was incredible. Obviously a little surprise for the opponent, a different system.We had so many counter attack moments, obviously we didn’t finish it, a bit of a shame.

“It was a difficult decision to be honest to change a system before playing at City. The boys are ready to listen, ready to adapt, to perform, I think in many moments we could have created more possibilities. But they are. Completely okay.

“We’ve been brave, of course. We’ve had moments where we played too many long balls, but that’s normal, the demand for concentration was incredible. In so many moments we’ve come back to football, we’ve caused problems at City, and they’re top team, and tonight we showed that we are also a top team. “

Choose the stats

• Manchester City have drawn three of their last five Premier League games (V2), as many as their previous 70 games in the competition previously.
• Liverpool have only won three of their last 10 away games in the Premier League (D3 L4), having won 16 of their 17 previous league away games (D1).
• After a streak of 35 consecutive Premier League wins at the opening scoring between February 2019 and July 2020, Liverpool have failed to win four of their last seven games by scoring the first goal (D3 S1).
• Gabriel Jesus’ draw for Manchester City (19) featured the most passes in preparation for a Premier League goal against Liverpool since September 2017; a goal that was also a goal from Jesus (assisted by De Bruyne) at Etihad, and also following a 19 pass move.
• Kevin De Bruyne’s penalty for Manchester City was the first to miss in a Premier League match since October 2018, when Riyad Mahrez exploded from the spot in the same match at Anfield.

What’s next?

Manchester City will go to Tottenham after the international break on Saturday 21 November, live on Sky Sports Premier League at 5.30pm, and then go to Olympiakos in the Champions League at 5.55pm on Wednesday 25 November.

Liverpool will host Leicester on Saturday 21 November at 3pm, before hosting Atalanta in the Champions League at 8pm on Wednesday 25 November.