Manchester City and Liverpool trade blows but neither finds a knockout in title fight
It was more slugfest than sweet science, but Manchester City and Liverpool lived up to their billing as the heavyweights of the Premier League in this wildly entertaining 2-2 draw, which leaves the title race finely poised.
The champions and their closest challengers traded haymakers for 90 minutes but ultimately neither delivered a knockout blow to the other’s prospects. City remain ahead on points, with seven games remaining, by the slimmest of margins.
Liverpool’s need to win was greater so the onus was on them to carry the fight to City, yet instead they were caught cold by the hosts, Kevin De Bruyne’s deflected shot putting them in front after less than five minutes.
The visitors quickly equalised through Diogo Jota but City looked hungrier, sharper and braver. Gabriel Jesus put them back in front before half-time, and the lead might easily have been bigger. But Liverpool needed less than a minute of the second half to draw level again, Mohamed Salah releasing Sadio Mane to finish emphatically past Ederson.
There could have been many more goals. For City, Raheem Sterling had a would-be winner chalked off for the finest of offsides and Riyad Mahrez wasted an injury-time chance. For Liverpool, Salah saw a goal-bound effort diverted wide by Aymeric Laporte. And that was just in the second half.
Perhaps because the stakes were so high – a win would have put City four points clear and, in all probability, wrapped up the title, while a Liverpool win would have put them in charge – some of the finishing and final balls were erratic. Even the unflappable goalkeepers Alisson Becker and Ederson looked jumpy.
“It was like a boxing fight, both had the arms down for a second,” said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. “I thought we were closer than ever. Great game and the result we have to live with and can live with.”
City midfielder De Bruyne said he expected further twists in the title fight before the campaign is out. “I think we played very well and had the upper hand today,” he said. “The schedule is way too tough for both teams to win all the games.”
If the match lived up to its billing, then the result also stuck to type. During the nearly four seasons that Klopp’s Liverpool have been the main rivals to Pep Guardiola’s City, they have accumulated just one point fewer.
It could barely be any closer and this was further evidence. Just as when they met at Anfield in October, it finished 2-2, and City have now only lost to Liverpool once in 13 home games in the Premier League.
De Bruyne was outstanding for City, strong and purposeful in possession, abetted by the nimble feet of Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo, and the tireless running in behind of Sterling and Jesus, who justified his selection with a fine first-time finish.
Liverpool, meanwhile, were at their best when Thiago Alcantara pulled the strings, as he did in the lead-up to Jota’s goal. Salah, Mane and Jota fizzed all afternoon, keeping Cancelo, Kyle Walker, Laporte and John Stones on their toes.
The upshot is that City retain the upper hand and are still on course to be champions of England for the fourth time in five years. They could yet win a treble that includes the Champions League and FA Cup – they face Liverpool again in the semi-finals of the latter competition on Saturday.
Liverpool’s bid for a potential quadruple, meanwhile, remains alive – just about. But after trading blows with City on Sunday, they are on the back foot in the Premier League at least.