Mac Allister spot-kick earns Liverpool draw against Man City as title race set to go down to wire
Liverpool and Manchester City fought out a pulsating draw in their title showdown to leave Arsenal on top of the Premier League yesterday.
City took the lead through John Stones’ first-half strike, but Alexis Mac Allister equalised with a penalty soon after the interval at Anfield.
The result was exactly what Arsenal wanted as the Gunners retained first place, a position they earned when Kai Havertz’s late header clinched a dramatic 2-1 win against Brentford on Saturday. Arsenal are above second-placed Liverpool on goal difference, while champions City are one point adrift of the top two, with all three teams having 10 games left.
In a title race for the ages, Arsenal will travel to City for a potentially decisive clash in both sides’ next league game on March 31.
City drew first blood at Anfield with a clever set-piece routine in the 23rd minute.
Kevin De Bruyne hit a low corner that Stones met at the near post with a close-range finish.
Liverpool levelled in the 50th minute when City defender Nathan Ake played a suicidal back-pass that was intercepted by Darwin Nunez. City keeper Ederson rushed off his line in a desperate bid to avert the danger, but only succeeded in catching Nunez with a reckless lunge.
Mac Allister calmly stroked the spot-kick past Ederson and, in a frantic finale, City’s Jeremy Doku hit the post and then escaped another penalty appeal for his high challenge on Liverpool’s goalscorer. An already seismic showdown was given extra significance by being Jurgen Klopp’s last topflight meeting with City boss Pep Guardiola after his bombshell that he will quit Liverpool at the end of this season.
After jousting for supremacy throughout their reigns, it was fitting that Klopp held Guardiola in a warm embrace at the final whistle of a clash that leaves the destiny of the title still in the balance.
Klopp, who spoke to referee Michael Oliver at the end of the game, told Sky Sports afterwards that his side should have been awarded a penalty for Doku’s challenge on Mac Allister.
“This was 100 per cent a foul
Jurgen Klopp, in his last Premier League encounter with Pep Guardiola, felt his side deserved a late penalty
and a yellow card. Because he hit the ball but he only hit the ball because his foot was high. It’s a penalty for all football people on the planet,” said Klopp.
Liverpool captain Van Dijk, said to Sky Sports: “Second half was obviously much better than 15-20 minutes in the first half. We should have closed the middle a bit better but we reacted well. We had very good chances, unfortunately we couldn’t get the winner but overall bittersweet.
“Based on the second half you feel we should have won it, but they hit the post as well.
“It was so close. Manchester City have been very successful with the titles they have won and every game we have played against each other has been very intense. Every game is so difficult, they have quality all over the pitch and that is why they won the Treble last year. I respect that but the aim for us today was to win the game.
“To come away with a point is not a bad situation and we have to focus on what’s next. We just have to enjoy the ride.”
City defender John Stones, told Sky Sports: “We created quite a lot of chances early on in the game and probably could have taken them and been two or three up but that is football.
“We know what we are in for coming here. We feel a bit deflated in the dressing room. We came here to win, but this is such a difficult place to come.
I think the second half was more them than us and it kind of balanced out. We’ll take the point. Every game is a final for us. We treat every game like that. We have take the positives and look forward to the next game.”