Liverpool v Manchester City / Picture: APA / AFP / PAUL ELLIS
The big hit of the English Premier League between Liverpool and Manchester City ended with a 2-2 on Sunday. The “Reds” took the lead twice on Anfield through Sadio Mane (59th) and Mohamed Salah (76th), the defending champion equalized thanks to Phil Foden (69th) and Kevin de Bruyne (81st). This puts Liverpool one point behind Chelsea in second and City third one more point behind.
After balanced opening minutes, ManCity clearly put the stamp on the game in the first half and came to some promising opportunities, for example through Foden (21st, 44th) and De Bruyne (34th). After the break, Liverpool improved significantly and made it 1-0 through Mane. The Senegalese overcame city goalie Ederson after ideal preparatory work by Salah.
The guests answered quickly – Foden equalized just ten minutes later with a low shot into the far corner. After that, the home side again presented in a high-class game in the second half. Salah duped four city pros and hit the far corner with his weaker right foot from a relatively acute angle.
This time it only took five minutes to equalize again. De Bruyne took off with his left, Joel Matip made a decisive fake. In the end, both teams fought an open exchange of blows, but it remained a draw. Liverpool were lucky not to have to act outnumbered for 20 minutes – James Milner, who had major problems with Foden as the representative of the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold, barely missed yellow-red in the 72nd minute.
