COUTINHO SHOCKS CITY IN REDS ROMP
Liverpool boss sparks an electrifying show to leave Pellegrini’s men in shock
TWENTY MINUTES were left when Jurgen Klopp, the collar of his club track suit turned up against the cold, exploded with rage on the touchline. He leapt into the air as if he had been jolted by an electric current and began to scream and wave his arms vigorously in the vague direction of Adam Lallana. Then he spied an empty water bottle and backheeled it towards the bench.
His Liverpool team played as if they were energised by his fury, as if they, too, were electrified by his hunger. Sure, half the story of this game was that Manchester City were shambolic in defence but the better half was that Liverpool were quite breathtakingly and beautifully brilliant.
Philippe Coutinho was unplayable for long periods, a dancing, dribbling, untouchable sprite who was a mystery City’s defenders could not solve. The Brazilian scored one and had a hand in the other two. His performance was dazzling.
He was ably abetted by his compatriot Roberto Firmino, whose only failing was that he should have scored a hat-trick rather than one goal. City’s wretched defence could not cope with his pace or vision. Together, the Brazilians ran riot as Manuel Pellegrini’s men sat back and watched.
So forget the idea this was about Raheem Sterling’s first match against Liverpool since he left the club and joined City for £49 million. ‘Sterling, Sterling, what’s the score?’ the Liverpool fans sang in the dying minutes and on this evidence, the team are not missing him. They are moving forward quickly under Klopp, not looking back.
Sterling is a fine player but he was anonymous last night. He was not alone. City were desperately poor in practically every department. After their fast start to the season, many made them champions elect. Well, they can forget the title if they keep playing anything like this.
This crushing defeat left Leicester at the top of the Premier League and City need to get their act together if they are to have any chance of climbing back to the summit.
They missed Vincent Kompany, certainly, but Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis played like strangers at the centre of defence. The rest of the team gave the ball away at will. For Liverpool, optimism abounds and suddenly a topfour place looks a real possibility. This was gegenpressing’s happiest showing in English football so far.
Sterling had been roundly booed when his name was announced in City’s starting line-up but the standard display of tribalism soon gave way to a display of togetherness.
City’s players stood side by side with Liverpool’s as the French national anthem rang around the stadium and fans of both sides applauded. The decision to sing La Marseillaise before Premier League games this weekend had been criticised but it was hard to find fault with a gesture born of generosity of spirit. La Marseillaise was played before El Clasico, too. Surely, there does not need to be a limit imposed on such shows of solidarity.
Perhaps it was understandable City’s two French players, Bacary Sagna and Mangala, found their concentration wavering.
Seven minutes had gone when Sagna was caught on the ball inside his own half by Coutinho who sprinted forward and played in Firmino and the Brazilian’s low cross was turned past Joe Hart by Mangala. Murmurs of dismay rolled around The Etihad. City spent the next 15 minutes dominating possession to little effect and then, after Klopp had berated Firmino loudly for some failing or another, F irm ino responded.
Liverpool broke quickly and City’s defence was thrown into disarray. Firmino ran across the face of the area and played a perfect pass into the path of Coutinho. He slid his shot under Hart and murmurs of disapproval turned to howls.
City were shambolic at the back, partly because Fernando and Yaya Toure gave little protection. Even in possession, they were unable to cope with Liverpool’s fierce pressing.
Liverpool went further ahead when Emre Can was allowed to wander away from goal on the edge of the box and had the time and vision to play a clever backheel into the path of Coutinho who touched the ball sideways to Firmino and he passed it into the empty net.
City did not know what to do. Liverpool looked like they could score at will. Two minutes after he scored, Firmino should have doubled his tally when Coutinho played him through after a dreadful error from Fernando, but Hart saved well.
A minute after that, he should have scored but this time his left-foot shot rolled wide. City regained some pride just before half time when Sergio Aguero curled a terrific shot into the corner but it was not enough to stop Toure or Jesus Navas being replaced at the interval.
City improved a little but Firmino wasted a one-on-one with Hart on the hour and then Coutinho rounded Hart and rolled the ball home only to be judged offside.
Simon Mignolet saved at full stretch from Aguero and Fernando could not quite turn in a free-kick from Kevin De Bruyne as hopes of a comeback ebbed away.
City’s hopes were finally extinguished when Martin Skrtel lashed home a loose ball after a corner but City had been second best.
Just one note of caution: if Klopp can rage when Liverpool play like this, imagine him on a bad night.