Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool FC fought a thrilling duel with Pep Guardiola and Manchester City right up to the last second, which ultimately remained without a winner. Due to the 1-1 draw in the top game of the English Premier League on Sunday evening, Liverpool (64 points) lost the lead in the table due to the goal difference to FC Arsenal, with the same number of points, while City is third, one point behind.
In the high-class game in front of 61,276 spectators at Anfield Road, John Stones scored for the Citizens with a successful corner kick (23′). After goalkeeper Ederson fouled Darwin Nunez, Alexis Mac Allister equalized with a penalty (50th). The City goalkeeper was injured during the action, so the German representative Stefan Ortega was substituted. Klopp, who will leave Liverpool in the summer, continues to have a positive career record against Guardiola after the 1-1 draw: twelve wins, seven draws, eleven defeats.
For Klopp, “Pep is the best”
Before the duel, Klopp said that for him “Pep was the best”. And his team played their tried and tested combination game right from the start. Alvarez tested Caoimhin Kelleher in the “Reds” goal (3rd), Kevin de Bruyne missed the lead twice. Then came Liverpool: Darwin Nunez, who was highly praised by Klopp, was wanted, but City’s offside trap worked brilliantly. Also with Nunez’s supposed assist for Luis Diaz’s opening goal (19th).
In the middle of Liverpool’s pressure phase, de Bruyne surprised Liverpool’s defense around Virgil van Dijk with a corner at the near post – and Stones scored from close range. Egged on by the loud fans, Klopp’s team fought back. Dominik Szoboszlai headed over from six meters (31′), and Diaz also missed a low shot by just a few centimeters (42′).
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Immediately after the break it became loud in the stadium: Nunez directed a catastrophic back pass from Nathan Ake past Ederson (47th), who hit the Liverpool attacker. Mac Allister stayed cool from the point. Afterwards, City’s substitute goalkeeper Ortega saw Diaz coming towards him several times, but he missed from the best positions.
Klopp’s team launched an attack with support from substitute Mohamed Salah. Liverpool tried everything to force a win, but Manchester remained dangerous on the counterattack. In the ninth and final minute of stoppage time, City’s Doku hit Mac Allister near the shoulder while trying to clear the ball in the penalty area, but the potential penalty whistle failed to materialize.
