Manchester City take on Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium. With the reigning champions looking to take top place back with three points today, City look to take three points to get back their momentum and advance up the pitch.
TEAM NEWS:
KICK OFF!
1′- Roberto Firmino with the first chance of the game as he looks to take it round Ederson but the Brazilian goalkeeper looks sharp as he was straight off the mark to deflect the attempt on goal.
A high tempo from both teams as Liverpool are dominating the game so far having most of the possession. City are looking shaky at the back but they have done well to cope with a strong Liverpool attack.
3′- Liverpool are all over City in the opening five minutes. Every time City get the ball, they seem to give it straight back.
6′- Liverpool are trying to attack down the right-hand side with Mohamed Salah and trying to get that in behind run, it seems to be slowly working as they are able to get the ball into the box but City are able to deal with it.
10′- PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL! Kyle Walker takes Sadio Mane down from behind and the referee does not hesitate to blow the whistle for a penalty but can Salah convert?
12′- GOAAAAAALL! Salah slots the ball into the bottom left-hand corner comfortably but Ederson should have got there. It was a poor penalty in my opinion but Liverpool lead at the Etihad. 1-0.
14′- City are upping the tempo and trying to dominate Liverpool in their defensive half but the Liverpool backline are able to cope with it.
16′- City have a free-kick in the final third and Kevin De Bruyne is over it. It is a beautifully lofted free-kick from the Belgian but no one is able to get on the end of it. Aymeric Laporte is taken down and calls for a penalty but the referee does not give anything.
17′- Mane is taking Walker on at every chance he gets as he utilises his power and skill. The ball falls out to Jordan Henderson on the edge of the box but it is dragged wide of the left post, nothing troubling Ederson.
20′- Andrew Robertson is playing diagonal balls to Diogo Jota and trying to send Salah through in on goal in behind, however, City are dealing with every chance that is thrown at them but they are unable to break through themselves.
21′- Salah, Mane and Firmino attack the City backline, Mane tries to see Firmino through but it is blocked and goes out for a Liverpool corner. The corner is high and reaches no one, Man City goal kick.
24′- City are starting to dominate in possession, De Bruyne plays a delightful ball across goal into the path of Raheem Sterling who takes a touch onto his strong foot but Alisson Becker does well to make himself big and make the save against the former Liverpool attacker.
28′- Robertson plays his usual diagonal ball but João Cancelo is there is counter and he makes a darting run towards the Liverpool goal where he met by the man mountain that is Joel Matip which allows Liverpool to gain possession.
30′- CITY CITY CITY!!!! Assisted by De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus gets lucky by Trent Alexander-Arnold being behind him to give him that chance to strike the ball into the bottom left corner giving Alisson no chance.
31′- City are picking up the pace now as De Bruyne strikes from range to catch Alisson off guard but it’s just wide.
35′- City are all over Liverpool as they are playing it around the back and are holding the ball well as they work it to the full-backs to try and find Jesus in the box.
38′- De Bruyne strikes the ball into the box but it is met by Joe Gomez’ hand. The City players scream for a penalty and the referee takes it to VAR.
41′- PENALTY TO CITY!!! De Bruyne steps up against Alisson.
41′- HE’S MISSED THE ENTIRE GOAL!! City’s playmaker misses their best chance of the game as he aims for the bottom left corner but he misses the entire goal.
43′- Mane takes an audacious touch sending him through in on goal but he doesn’t take his chance, it’s laid off for Salah but he sends Alexander-Arnold in on goal and the shot is straight down the keeper’s throat and is fumbled into Jota’s path but Ederson does well to grab it back.
45′- Ruben Dias rushed out to Mane and hacks at his and takes him down. This is within distance for Alexander-Arnold but is he going to step up? Can he convert?
45+1′- Alexander-Arnold, Henderson and Salah are all over the free-kick, Trent steps up and shoots with power as it just goes over the bar. Ederson was definitely beaten.
HALF TIME
A strong first 25 for Liverpool as they took the lead with a penalty from Salah but after that City seemed to find a bundle of motivation from thin air. They were able to pick it up after Liverpool took the lead and could have taken the lead themselves but De Bruyne was unable to do that for the Cityzens.
SECOND HALF BEGINS and City kick off.
46′- Matip picks up a yellow card after a nasty foul on De Bruyne which has seen him be brought to ground and afterwards limp to the sideline.
48′- Both teams have started the second half strongly and are both creating chances left, right and centre.
52′- City are doing well to keep possession and make Liverpool chase it but whenever either side get the ball, they are able to keep it for a long time.
54′- Cancelo with a floating ball into the box with an unmarked Jesus but he is unable to convert for the second time as he misses the entire goal.
56′- It is back and forth at the moment as Robertson will attack down the left-hand side and then De Bruyne is down the other end knuckle balling a strong shot that is struck just over the bar.
58′- Firmino is taken off for some fresh legs in Xherdan Shaqiri.
58′- Jota shoots but it is blocked by Cancelo, claims for a handball as it hit his tricep but the referee does not give in, play resumes.
60′- Sterling gets a yellow after an unnecessary tackle on Matip.
61′- TRENT IS OUT Alexander-Arnold goes down after what looks like to me muscle fatigue but there is no confirmation on that as he is taken off for James Milner.
61′- City make their first change as Bernardo Silva comes on for Ferran Torres. The Young Spanish attacker has not been very effective tonight, hopefully, Silva can make that impact in the last half an hour.
65′- City are playing a fairly high line but are able to track back very quickly whenever Liverpool look likely to get in on goal.
68′- Cancelo is likely to be getting a talking to soon after a patch of rough challenges on Shaqiri and Salah. He needs to be careful as he has had an effect on the game for City and it will be a shame for him to be sent off.
73′- City are all over Liverpool once again in the game but Liverpool are still able to deal with the pressure from the Blues even with the absence of Alexander-Arnold.
76′- Silva is challenged by Georginio Wijnaldum and Robertson and it goes out for a City corner. De Bruyne takes but it is into the hands of Alisson.
78′- Sterling is in the box and is swarmed by Liverpool players and is shut down rapidly.
78′- City are getting vicious and the yellow cards are coming out as Laporte is booked and Walker pushed Mane over.
81′- Liverpool’s tempo has died down massively, they are not pressing as much and are allowing City to have the ball in their own half. Liverpool have not had the ball in City’s half much if at all in the last five minutes.
82′- Cancelo has had an outstanding game and has defended for his life against a world-class Salah. Shaqiri has not been a serious threat and have been in Cancelo’s pocket, what a lovely player to watch.
88′- A crazy game here, the game has been at full throttle since the off, however over the past 10 or so minutes the attacking sting has left the game, and turned into a possession party, both goalkeepers haven’t had too much to do this second half either.
90′- Four added minutes here. Liverpool will be hoping for one last opportunity to try and make a claim to stay on top of the Premier League over the international break.
90+4 – Liverpool have a free-kick here, surely this is the last chance of the game, will there be a bit of magic to end this Sunday night stunner. Nothing comes from this free-kick however, so both teams end with a point each, which in context of the game I’m sure both teams will be okay with that result.
FULL TIME
Fantastic game here at the Etihad this afternoon. What a shame for The Reds and The Sky Blues to have such an intense game played behind closed doors.
Cancelo is my Man of the Match today, what an influential performance from the Portuguese defender, however, the official Man of the Match for this game was Liverpool’s Salah who opened the scoring with a well-taken penalty to give Liverpool the lead.
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