City inflict first loss on Liverpool

Liverpool can’t now win the English Premier League unbeaten. Manchester City have renewed hope they won’t be surrendering the trophy at all.

A title defence faltering a week ago is back on track for Pep Guardiola after City beat Liverpool 2-1 yesterday, inflicting the leaders’ first league loss of the season in their 21st game.

Completing the packed festive programme with an engrossing encounter, Liverpool threatened a comeback when Roberto Firmino cancelled out Sergio Aguero’s firsthalf opener but Leroy Sane struck the winner in the 72nd minute.

‘‘Pretty intense,’’ Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said. ‘‘It had wild moments.’’

Back-to-back losses for City less than two weeks ago had put Liverpool on a seemingly smoother path to a first English title in 29 years. Rather than going 10 points clear, Liverpool’s lead has been trimmed to four points by City, who reclaimed second place from Tottenham.

‘‘It’s still in Liverpool’s hands, but our performance was beyond anything else I’ve ever witnessed,’’ City captain Vincent Kompany said.

‘‘We went toe-to-toe with a very physical and aggressive team and we matched them for everything, if not more.’’

The hosts scored in the 40th minute. Receiving Bernardo Silva’s cross on his right foot, Aguero got away from Dejan Lovren and used his left boot to power the ball into the roof of the net.

In the second half Liverpool showed why the Premier League era’s perennial underachievers might yet win the English title for a 19th time. The equaliser was created by the fullbacks in the 64th minute. Trent Alexander-Arnold sent a diagonal pass to the far post where Andy Robertson volleyed the ball across the penalty area for an unmarked Firmino to head into an empty net.

Just when Liverpool were gaining momentum, City roared back in front from a blistering counterattack. Raheem Sterling cut in from the left and slipped the ball through to Sane, who fired a shot past Alexander-Arnold and in off the post. Any concerns the Wellington Phoenix will become onedimensional should be alleviated by the signing of Cillian Sheridan.

The 29-year-old Republic of Ireland international joined the club on Thursday and will be in the running for a spot on the bench for tonight’s match away to Adelaide United if his international transfer clears in time.

He was not named in the initial 18-man squad, but has travelled with the extended group of players who will stay on in Australia for their second road match in four days when they play the Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday night.

What Sheridan represents for coach Mark Rudan is greater tactical flexibility.

The Phoenix have plenty of pacey, agile forwards, but lacked a physical presence up front, meaning they were in danger of becoming predictable.

At 1.96m, Sheridan gives them just that.

That doesn’t mean they’ll change the way they play immediately, but, if the situation or opposition warrants it, then they have the option to play a more target manfocused gameplan.

‘‘He adds another dimension in terms of our playing style,’’ Rudan said.

‘‘We want to continue to progress and improve. What you’ve seen now Coach Mark Rudan is another step forward in our development, but there is still more to do within our system in terms of the way we can play, and he gives us that.’’

The sixth-placed Phoenix have an uncannily identical four-win, three-draw, three-loss record to the fifth-placed Adelaide, even down to goals scored (15) and goals against (14).

It will also be a good measure of how far the Phoenix have come since losing 3-1 at home to Adelaide on November 24. They have gone unbeaten in their last five games since that match.

‘‘They got a good result against Newcastle [2-1 away win], you can see they’re very well structured and organised defensively and have got pace in attack as well,’’ Rudan said.

‘‘Another team that is going to pose different problems, but our job is to find solutions and we’re working hard to do that.’’

As for managing his players with