Manchester City 0-2 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened
Key events
Here’s David Hytner’s match report from the Etihad.
Dominik Szoboszlai spoke to Sky, too: “We were defending 30 metres from our goal and we gave everything. It is part of the game. Sometimes you don’t have the ball and we are happy to take the three points.”
“We have to keep going and Newcastle is going to be a tough game and then 11 more games to go. It never ends so we have to keep calm and keep going and at the end hopefully, we will get there.”
Man of the match, man of the season, Salah spoke to Sky: “It is incredible. It is a very hard place to come and play here. They are a tough team and they have an incredible manager I am glad in the end we won the game. It is special. Especially when you are in the title race, it is incredible.
“Hopefully we keep calm because sometimes the pressure gets to us. We try to win each game. Maybe people prefer my first seasons or now but I prefer now because winning the league, helping the young players, it is special.
“We need another title. Me and the big guys in the team, we need another title.”
Stuart Jenkinson gets in touch: “…City get relegated when the ‘judgment’ comes in and their results expunged, then Liverpool are only 9 points clear and….ah, ok, as you were.”
Sam Trenery: “A drunk Arsenal fan on the train during the week tried to tell me we (Liverpool) haven’t actually been good this season and that we’d collapse in the next few weeks. I’ve been thinking of him and smiling this weekend (Me? Petty? Never). In all seriousness, an absolutely huge weekend and result for us. YNWA”
Andy Mycock gets in touch and offers another view, the City view: “Obviously easier to make assumptions about this game (as lots of people commenting on your commentary are) when you are not at it but Liverpool have been relatively poor today.
“A decent team would have done a proper job on us. City interesting as they are team in transition but lots of positives to take from game. Didn’t give up and played sone nice football in patches. It’s all about next season. Liverpool are one season wonders. Will leave it to your TV warriors to talk crap though. Love to the family etc Andy x”
Cheers, Andy.
Think we all know the answer to this. Simply untouchable.
Rupak doesn’t hold back: “As a Liverpool fan, I must say that seeing Haaland sitting with that dejected look on his face, seeing the Etihad becoming emptyhad and completing League double over City after 15 years feels more than being over the moon. We showed our form of December when we beat Real and City in one week. Let’s hope this ruthlessness continues for one more month, then the celebrations can begin. Who can stop us now? “
Alex adds: “However, they did play against each other once that season when Chelsea faced Basel, with Salah scoring and KdB a later substitute:”
Ben Chia gets in touch: “To answer Steve Hudson’s question, Salah and De Bruyne actually missed each other by a matter of days at Chelsea. The Belgian left Chelsea for Wolfsburg on 18 January 2014. The Egyptian completed his transfer to Chelsea on 26 January 2014.”
There’s the Premier League table.
Full-time: Manchester City 0-2 Liverpool
City gave as much as they had. It wasn’t enough. Arne Slot had too much in hand over Pep Guardiola. Mohamed Salah wanted to make sure the job was done; and he did so, a goal and assist opening up a lead of 11 points. City must scrabble for top five after a day when the need for a rebuild was made plain. Liverpool have 11 games to see out, seven at Anfield.
90+4 min: “We’re gonna win the league,” sing the Liverpool fans. This was the weekend when that became a fait accompli.
90+2 min: City keep probing, But the possession has been sterile. In the stands, we see Erling Haaland, looking disappointed. Could be a long nine years ahead.
90 min: Four minutes are added on as Salah takes his leave. Harvey Elliot comes on.
89 min: Doku again. He’s kept Trent Alexander-Arnold honest all day but Endo comes to the rescue. Trent looks cream-crackered. Salah, who’s been everywhere, looks fresh as a daisy.
87 min: Doku is denied as makes his latest incursion. He’s kept at it.
85 min: Gene Salorio is back: “City seem static, all passes going to players just stood there rather than on the move. And none to the empty areas where magically a player appears on the run to take the ball. City were the absolute best at the latter, now?”
Marty in Denmark: “It’s a lot (of money) to walk away from but don’t be surprised if Pep ‘shocks the world’ and announces his departure from Man City once the season ends – despite the recently signed 2 year deal…my prediction, anyway….”
Hasan: “Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand the waves of sympathy for de Bruyne’s plight, but I won’t be sad to see the back of him – he gives me the willies. Haaland always get painted as the meat covered cyborg, but for me it’s the Belgian who has the eerily dead eyes of a metal mother trucker. I doubt he’ll ever retire, he’ll just be quietly decommissioned and replaced with an upgrade whose hands can morph into knives. “
Oh, thanks, Hasan.
84 min: City fans plead for handball after Alisson handles from Tsimikas’s mistake. No way was that a back-pass. Small crumbs now for City’s support. Time to recall the good times.
83 min: Szoboszlai denied by the sliding Khusanov after another brilliant pass by Mohamed Salah. The Uzbek has been the pick of City’s defenders.
82 min: City’s reinforcements are still piling onwards but rather haplessly. They’ve been picked off by a team far more in concert with each other.
80 min: Quiz question from Steve Hudson: Did Salah and De Bruyne play together at Chelsea?
79 min: More changes: Gakpo on for Diaz for Liverpool. Not much time for anyone to make a further impression.
77 min: Three changes made by a very wet Guardiola: Marmoush for Gundogan, Ake for Dias and Gonzales for Kovacic. The new Rodri struggled today,
75 min: An exchange of shots: Marmoush slides into the side-netting then Salah shoots. Neither trouble the opposing keeper.
73 min: Changes: Tsimikas for Robertson, Jones for Endo. The Japanese player is the closer. Can City score in a team where Endo has come on as a sub? Nobody has done so yet.
71 min: So much noise from the Liverpool fans. The home end emptying.
70 min: City have been full of effort, and full of possession, but with nothing like the penetration. Doku has the latest attempt, the ball spinning up and making it hard to get any purchase on the shot.
68 min: By the way, Kevin De Bruyne’s painful race is run. James McAtee has replaced him. That was sad to see.
67 min: Doku is fouled. The ball is zipped towards Marmoush and – just – cleared. Then, Diaz shields the ball from four City defenders.
65 min: Ian Magilton: “Re: minute 60, isn’t Salah older than De Bruyne?
Answer: no.
64 min: Mac Allister zings in a corner, and it’s cleared. De Bruyne wins the ball in midfield, determined to show it’s not yet over. There will be new champions if it stays like this.
62 min: Kristof gets in touch: “Regarding City´s exceptional crumbling, has anyone yet come out with the theory that the players maybe just really resent Pep? They famously dipped in form once he signed his new contract extension, and I could totally see the dressing room be like “Shit, he STAYIN?!”. JUST A THEORY!”
Andy Flintoff: “One link from that Bournemouth game and today is that Nathan Aké (who scored the stoppage-time winner in 2016) is in City’s back line this afternoon.”
Maybe, just maybe?
61 min: Liverpool want a third. Salah is buzzing all over the place. He wants this done, so he can get the contract he wants. Perhaps that’s a bit of projection but much to be decided beyond the pitch at the club.
60 min: As Salah glides and glitters, poor KDB slips and slides and concedes a corner. Poor Kev. Age and nature are the cruellest.
59 min: Liverpool were celebrating as if the title was won, but now have to right themselves.
58 min: City – reprieved – almost score immediately as Doku and Marmoush threaten. The ball is cleared. It almost became 1-2 from 3-0 down.
Liverpool goal chalked off by VAR
But…Szoboszlai sent away, and Jones scores….City cut to ribbons but the Hungarian was offside….
56 min: Almost a beautiful move. Alisson sends off Salah, down the centre, and his ball almost finds Diaz. Khusanov – somehow – clears….
54 min: Foden – also well, well, off it – loses the ball and Liverpool spring into action. Though instead of the wildcat attack they choose patience. Salah and Szoboszlai attempt a switch-back but it’s cleared. Poor Khusanov is being thrown from the deepest of ends.
52 min: City continue to dominate the ball. But it’s sterile, powderpuff stuff. Liverpool set off at speed. Salah attempts to shoot with the outside of his boot. He scored like that at Bournemouth. Was it a cross? Robertson hoiks it back over and City eventually clear.
