Liverpool, City stage late comebacks
Manchester City left it late to win. Liverpool left it even later.
The two teams leading the English Premier League each staged late comebacks to win 2-1 against unfavoured opponents yesterday.
The gap between leaders Liverpool and second-placed City stayed at six points, but only after some late drama.
For City, the hero was Kyle Walker, setting up one goal and scoring the winner against Southampton in the 86th minute of their clash at Etihad Stadium.
For Liverpool, it was Sadio Mane with an assist for Andy Robertson in the 87th, and then a winning header deep into stoppage time, against Aston Villa at Villa Park.
‘‘We won, [but] Liverpool still won,’’ City manager Pep Guardiola said.
‘‘When they win so many games in the last minute, it is because of special character. The first season we won with 100 points (in 2017-18), we won four or five games in the last minute.’’
Liverpool’s players knew how close they came to losing their status as the only unbeaten team in the league, but they kept fighting.
Robertson said his team’s job was to force errors from Villa all the way to the final whistle. His charging run to the far post to meet Mane’s cross certainly wrong-footed Villa’s defence.
Only one team has won the league unbeaten – Arsenal in 2004.
Before Liverpool’s comeback, it looked like the video assistant referee system might have decided the game.
VAR checks declared Villa’s Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan onside for the opening goal, but ruled Roberto Firmino’s armpit was marginally offside when he put the ball into the net for Liverpool shortly after.
The lengthy review left Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wondering whether the VAR officials needed extra time ‘‘to find a line where Bobby was offside’’.
City, meanwhile, also found themselves having to come from 1-0 down.
They had little trouble beating Southampton 3-1 in the League Cup on Wednesday, but yesterday was a very different proposition.
When Ederson spilled the ball while saving Stuart Armstrong’s shot in the 13th, James WardProwse was waiting to pounce.
Southampton were organised in defence in vast contrast to their 9-0 capitulation to Leicester eight days before, and held City at bay until Walker and Aguero combined to score two vital goals.
Before Southampton and Aston Villa had their dreams of a surprise win crushed, Bournemouth celebrated a 1-0 victory over a diminished Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium.
Manchester United not good enough to get a draw at
Bournemouth? A few years, ago that would have sounded ridiculous.
Yet, it was United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who said ‘‘it was the lack of quality that couldn’t give us the point or three’’ in heavy rain on England’s south coast.
Joshua King, a former United youth player, scored the only goal of the game in the 45th minute, turning and shooting as United’s star summer signing Aaron WanBissaka did little to stop him.
With Leicester City playing today, Chelsea jumped three points clear in third spot after a 2-1 win against Watford at Vicarage Road – the fifth straight league victory for Frank Lampard’s young team.
After 11 games, Watford remain the only team without a win in any of Europe’s five biggest leagues.
They remain two points behind Norwich City, who lost 2-0 to Brighton at American Express Community Stadium.
Elsewhere, Sheffield United earned their biggest win since returning to the league, beating Burnley 3-0 at Bramall Lane, while West Ham’s slide continued in a 3-2 loss to Newcastle at London Stadium, and Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers drew 1-1 at Emirates Stadium.