BRILLIANT BUT BADLY FLAWED
City and Liverpool show just why they are title also-rans
IF IT wasn’t for Chelsea, this would be a heck of a title race. As far down as Everton in seventh, they would all be convincing themselves they had a chance.
Sadly for the rest, though, Chelsea are indeed involved and here were some of the reasons why we all expect them to turn a 10-point advantage at the top into a procession come May.
Manchester City and Liverpool were brilliant to watch here and this was a brilliant game. But their watchability comes not just from their exciting attacking play but also from their flaws and unpredictability.
On the whole, unpredictable teams do not win the Premier League. You don’t win the really big prizes if nobody knows what you are going to do next and that, for the time being, is what continues to undermine these teams and everybody else who may still entertain fanciful designs of catching Antonio Conte’s bulldozing side.
Maybe that all sounds a little unfair after such a terrific game. Whatever we may think about Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, both managers are admirably committed to aggressive, front-foot football. When Klopp introduced holding midfielder Lucas Leiva to ensure his team took a point, it was probably the first pragmatic move either coach made all day and at that stage there was precisely one minute of normal time left.
Nevertheless, City and Liverpool are not built to win the Premier League. Not yet, anyway.
Too many games they play finish with unanswered questions. Too often Guardiola and Klopp are left talking about missed opportunities or refereeing decisions.
So it was here. Sergio Aguero missed an opportunity in added time that was so gilt-edged Guardiola threw himself to his knees in the technical area.
Ten minutes before that, meanwhile, Adam Lallana had done likewise for Liverpool. So both managers will have gone home last night knowing that they could have won but were also rather fortunate not to lose.
Liverpool had the whip hand with 25 minutes to go. As he had when Liverpool played across town at Manchester United in January, James Milner had given his team the lead with a penalty. As had been the case two months ago, his team couldn’t see the game out.
City supporters booed Milner throughout and that seemed unfair. He gave City unwavering service for a transformative five years and helped them to their first Premier League title. What is also beyond reasonable doubt is that he should have been sent off in the first half.
What we saw during the opening 45 minutes was typical of both teams. Some end-to-end football, some great counter-attacks and some moments of frailty. But when Milner slid into Raheem Sterling almost on the goal-line in the 40th minute, referee Michael Oliver should have awarded a penalty and shown Milner a red card.
So City were unlucky there. But then their own player Yaya Toure had been slightly lucky to escape with just a yellow for a studs-up challenge on Emre Can earlier on in the piece.
What was certain was that this game could not end goalless. City goalkeeper Willy Caballero saved really well from Roberto Firmino and Lallana late in the opening period while at the other end David Silva lashed a volley wide of an open goal. With the rain pouring down and both sets of supporters aware of how badly they needed a victory, this was fractious at times. On the touchline Klopp and Guardiola exchanged words and headed towards each other. Strangely, that encounter culminated in an unwieldy high five. A weird moment.
Into the second half and Liverpool struck first. City’s offside trap malfunctioned in familiar fashion and as Firmino tried to control Can’s chipped through-ball, Gael Clichy felled him with a high kick. Milner’s penalty was struck across his body with his right instep and Liverpool had something precious.
City seemed rattled and so did their supporters, howling persistently at perceived injustice. Before Guardiola’s team could regroup, Firmino was clear again, this time played through by the hitherto peripheral Philippe Coutinho. A second goal probably would have won it but Caballero raced out to save with his knee.
It felt like a big moment and it transpired to be as eight minutes later City were level. They hadn’t exactly been threatening but the goal was lovely. Kevin De Bruyne’s low cross from the right was accurate and delivered with pace and Aguero stole half a yard on Ragnar Klavan to score from six yards.
It wasn’t Klavan’s best moment but he is not the first central defender to be outfoxed by Aguero. It was brilliant centre forward play and set City up for a closing period they just about edged. During that time, De Bruyne struck the post and Sterling appealed, incorrectly this time, for a penalty after tangling with Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
There was still time for Lallana to err when teed up by Firmino and then came Aguero’s late moment of fallibility that felled his manager. A chipped cross landed perfectly on his instep but somehow Aguero volleyed the ball over the bar.
Guardiola hauled himself up to his feet and looked around as though searching for answers. The truth is that he will probably only find them in the transfer market this summer.
For both these managers, significant and necessary improvement will probably arrive next season and not before.