Liverpool, City serve up EPL classic
Liverpool and Manchester City showed the English Premier League what it will be missing when Jurgen Klopp walks away at the end of the season.
Anfield hosted a typically full-blooded, high-octane clash of titans in the last English top-flight encounter between Klopp and Pep Guardiola before the Liverpool manager stands down.
No wonder Guardiola says he will sleep easier when his long-time rival is no longer standing in his way.
He likened Liverpool to a “tsunami” as the defending champions had to dig deep to survive extended periods of pressure in the second half.
“Oh my God, they come from everywhere,” Guardiola said after a 1-1 draw yesterday that kept secondplace Liverpool one point ahead of City in third.
Arsenal ended the weekend top of the points standing on goal difference. The Londoners’ 2-1 win at Brentford on Saturday felt like a subplot to the latest and possibly last clash between Klopp and Guardiola.
John Stones gave City a first-half lead, and Alexis Mac Allister levelled from the penalty spot after the break.
That only told part of the story of a thrilling encounter, which saw Luis Diaz miss a big chance to fire Liverpool ahead, and Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku hit the woodwork for City. In stoppage time, Klopp thought Liverpool deserved a penalty for Doku’s chesthigh challenge on Mac Allister, only for VAR to dismiss appeals.
Perhaps Klopp is mellowing as he
counts down his final days at Liverpool, but he preferred to focus on the performance of his rebuilt and injurystricken team.
“For us, besides the result, the most important information is, we are right there. We go the distance. Let’s see what we get for it, but the boys fought so hard through everything to be there,” he said. “Today, I saw the best 53 minutes we had against Manchester City. It was exceptional and important that we learnt that about ourselves.”
SON STARS
Once, it was Harry Kane on whom Tottenham fans pinned their hopes. Now it is Son Heung-min.
The South Korean forward has helped fill the void left by Kane’s departure to Bayern Munich in the off season, and yesterday he inspired Spurs to a 4-0 rout against top-four rivals Aston Villa with one goal and two assists.
Fifth-place Spurs are two points behind Villa in fourth with a game in hand.
Son provided assists for Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner either side of scoring his 14th goal of the season in all competitions.
James Maddison had opened the scoring in a game that saw Villa’s John McGinn sent off in the second half.
FOREST BLOW
Nottingham Forest’s survival hopes were dented after Andrew Omobamidele’s goal consigned the relegation-fighting team to a 1-0 loss at Brighton.
Forest, in 17th, are just three points above the drop zone and 18th-place Luton, who have a game in hand.
Luton drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace on Saturday, thanks to Cauley Woodrow’s equaliser in the sixth minute of stoppage time, which could be crucial in the battle to stay up.
BURNLEY HELD
Danny Ings scored in the first minute of stoppage time to deny Burnley a vital win and secure a 2-2 draw at the London Stadium.
Burnley had led 2-0 through David Datro Fofana and an own goal by Konstantinos Mavropanos.
But thoughts of a first win since December 23 were ended by a second-half fightback from West Ham, with Lucas Paqueta scoring just after the break and Ings levelling.
Burnley at least moved off the foot of the table and above Sheffield United on goal difference.
Sheffield United had led 2-0 at Bournemouth on Saturday but had to settle for a point after Enes Unal’s stoppage-time equaliser.