TOP DRAW LEAVES A PERFECT 10
Klopp and Pep’s men still Gunning for glory
NO WINNERS here at Anfield but maybe in North London this will have felt like a victory.
It certainly will be for those in the market for a tantalising title race, because this super draw between Liverpool and Manchester City has set it up perfectly for a pulsating run-in with 10 games to go.
Jurgen Klopp (below) and Co may have come into this game with an injury-ravaged squad thinking a point against the defending champions would be a very good result.
But after this enthralling 90 minutes, they will maybe feel it was two dropped against Pep Guardiola (inset, right) and his blue machine.
Alexis Mac Allister’s second-half penalty cancelled out John Stones’ opener and when the Argentina ace found the net from 12 yards, it felt like there would be only one winner.
Anfield was rocking,
City were rattled. The momentum seemed to be only going one way.
Luis Diaz, a tireless trier all afternoon, squandered two great chances to win it.
Then there was a late shout for a penalty after Jeremy Doku’s high foot took out Mac Allister in the dying moments.
But not long before, the City winger had hit the inside of the post at the other end, so it could have gone the other way, too. A fantastic game.
In the end, neither side go top. Arsenal remain there on goal difference, with City a point behind. But now it feels like we are all set up for a proper three-horse race until May 19. Liverpool know that the Gunners and City have to play each other. They arguably have the easier runin of the three sides in contention.
But they are also well aware of how hard it is to catch Guardiola’s side when they get in front.
That is why it was so important for Klopp’s men to stop them here.
They showed without key men that they are still a match for the best team in the world.
City walked out to a wall of noise but they handled the atmosphere early and started on a positive foot.
Chances came and went. Liverpool were growing into the game but then the opener came in the 23rd minute.
Kevin De Bruyne, who otherwise had a quiet game by his standards, was so clever with a corner arrowed to the front post.
Nathan Ake ensured he blocked off Mac Allister and Stones left Darwin Nunez to turn in.
Nunez frustrated the home crowd with being offside so much, while Dominik Szoboszlai headed over.
Wataru Endo was excellent in midfield alongside Mac Allister but Guardiola surely warned his side against giving the Reds momentum when they had the lead.
But they did just that after the restart as a poor back pass from Ake saw Ederson rushing out and he kicked Nunez up into the air, injuring himself in the process.
It was a penalty and Mac Allister was composed to fire it home in the 50th minute.
Everything felt like it was building towards a home win as the revamped Anfield was ready to burst with excitement.
The introduction of fit-again Mo Salah only added to it further and he set up Diaz with a stunning pass but the Colombian lacked composure. Salah himself fired one wide, before Caoimhin Kelleher punched a cross on to the head of Phil Foden and it rocked the bar. Then Doku hit the woodwork before he almost gave away a penalty at the other end.
The game would not reach the expected crescendo. Yet it has set it up for a tremendous title race.