Klopp suffers and laughs Liverpool’s usury of opportunities saves City in a wild duel between giants
March 10, 2024, 6:55 p.m
The biggest game that European club football has to offer delivers what it promises: Liverpool FC and Manchester City play a highly intense game. In the end there is a winner after the draw: Arsenal FC.
English football has got the football summit that they have been looking forward to for weeks, not only on the island: Liverpool FC and Manchester City played a spectacular Premier League top game that ultimately found no winner: 1:1 ( The two top teams split 0-1 in a highly intense game. Liverpool FC had previously won ten league games in a row.
After a highly superior second half, the home side were significantly closer to victory in the last giant duel in the Premier League between the two world coaches Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp. However, as a result of the draw, Liverpool FC loses the lead in the table: the beneficiary is Arsenal FC, who German international Kai Havertz headed to the top of the Premier League on Saturday with his winning goal against Brentford.
Ex-Bielefeld saves City
Jürgen Klopp, who is leaving Liverpool FC at the end of the season, experienced a rollercoaster of emotions on the sidelines: the German coach of the traditional club suffered with his team, which was still severely weakened by replacements, in which top scorer Mohamed Salah could only be substituted in the middle of the second half. Klopp continually encouraged the audience. In the 96th minute, when the high-class game was still going back and forth, he smiled blissfully towards the stands where the spectators were singing their songs. After the final whistle, Klopp went from player to player and seemed happy with the point. Afterwards he raved about his team on Sky: “It was extraordinary. Having City on the hook like that feels good. That was a statement from us today. City won’t stop. Arsenal won’t stop. We won’t stop.”
At first, however, things didn’t go according to plan for the home team: John Stones had given the Skyblues the lead in the 22nd minute after a clever corner kick: Kevin De Bruyne had hit a corner flat on the near post, where the path for the ball was blocked could. Because Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez had given his opponent Stones too much space, he was able to shoot in from very close range. Goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher still had his hand on the ball, but could not prevent the deficit.
After a bad pass from defender Nathan Aké, City goalkeeper Ederson came way too late in his attempt to clear against Darwin Nunez and catapulted the Liverpool striker across the penalty area. There was no alternative to the penalty decision, Michael Oliver left it with a yellow card for the goalkeeper, who himself had to be treated for longer after the wild collision. Alexis Mac Allister confidently converted the penalty to equalize, which literally made Anfield explode.
A few minutes after the goal, Ederson had to leave the field: the Brazilian was injured in the unsuccessful defensive action, and Stefan Ortega came into the game to replace the regular goalkeeper. The change was also the start of a phase in which Liverpool FC created chance after chance. Attacker Luis Diaz alone could have decided the game for Jürgen Klopp’s Reds. The former Bielefeld Bundesliga goalkeeper Ortega quickly came into focus: first he cleared a long-range shot from Mac Allister for a corner, then the 31-year-old prevented Nunez from going behind from point-blank range. Liverpool FC subsequently created numerous top-class opportunities in front of 61,276 spectators at Anfield Road. “The second half was the best we’ve ever played against City,” said Klopp. “The fact that we are so good is a cool realization. Every individual performance was extraordinary.”
City verpasst Lucky Punch
But completely unexpectedly, Manchester City got the chance for the lucky punch shortly before the end – and they were only a few centimeters away from silencing Anfield: Jeremy Doku put the ball after one of the few promising counterattacks in the second half but in the 89th minute it only hit the inside post. Manchester’s top striker Erling Haaland provided the assist for Doku’s shot on goal, but was otherwise hardly a factor in this game, which was so important for the rest of the season. The Norwegian has only scored a disappointing four goals in his eight Premier League appearances this year.
In the last seconds of the eight-minute stoppage time, the home team could have had the ultimate chance to score the winning goal, if not should have: Manchester’s Doku caught Mac Allister with his studs in his own penalty area. Oliver didn’t whistle, and the VAR, somewhat surprisingly, didn’t object to the decision – even if Klopp “looked suspiciously like a penalty.” So it remained 1:1. Liverpool FC are now second in the table with 64 points, level on points with Arsenal FC, while Manchester City is one point behind the top duo.
After the upcoming international break, Manchester City welcomes the new league leaders Arsenal London for the next top game. Liverpool FC will play their next Premier League game on March 31st when they host Jürgen Klopp’s team Brighton & Hove Albion. Before that, both teams are fighting for a place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup: Klopp, who has three more chances for the title on his farewell tour after winning the League Cup, has to travel with his team to Manchester United next weekend, Manchester City hosts Newcastle United.
2024-03-10 17:55:00
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