FULCRUM FERNANDINHO IS CITY’S PIVOTAL MAN
AFTER all the expectation, hype and the sycophantic exchanges between the managers, the two highest-rated teams in the Premier League began at a frenetic pace at the Etihad. City mirrored Liverpool’s system, playing 4-3-3 with Fernandinho at the base of the midfield while Liverpool played a flatter midfield trio. But it was good to see both Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp stay true to their philosophies. Early on, Klopp took his place alone in the technical area whilst Guardiola, perhaps calmer, sat and discussed how the pattern of the game was developing with Mikel Arteta. Both managers would have been impressed with the efforts of all of their players to make speedy recovery runs when possession was lost. It made for an intense, competitive match. Guardiola would certainly have been happier at the interval with a one-goal lead and his team playing the relaxed, possession -based football for which they have become renowned. Klopp would have wanted Roberto Firmino to get on the ball more to link the play and also more from Georginio Wijnaldum in central midfield. Both players have the ability to pick passes and send danger men Sadio Mane and Mo Salah away but it did not happen. The charismatic German would have hoped that Salah holding the right side would expose Aymeric Laporte, who was playing away from his preferred position in the centre. This did not happen until Salah moved to a more central position and sent Mane away for Liverpool’s one great chance of the first half. Klopp’s problem was that Liverpool couldn’t get their pace men away. That was the difference in the first half. For all the danger of Liverpool’s front three, they need someone to make penetrative passes to play them in. The big change that helped Liverpool get back into the game was Salah moving to a more central position and their full-backs being given instruction from Klopp to push further forward. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson reminded me of the legendary Brazilians Cafu and Roberto Carlos as they linked up well to create Firmino’s equaliser. For Guardiola, Fernandinho was the key man. He allowed City to play, as he so often does, by breaking up attacks and thwarting Liverpool at every turn. Without him at the fulcrum of the side, City would find it far harder to play Guardiola’s wonderful brand of football.