Liverpool’s Wataru Endo, centre left and Manchester Metropolis’s Erling Haaland vie for the ball, through the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester Metropolis and Liverpool on the Etihad Stadium, in Manchester, England, on November 25, 2023.
| Picture Credit score: AP
Liverpool snapped Manchester Metropolis’s 23-match successful run on the Etihad as a conflict between the Premier League’s prime two ended 1-1 on Saturday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s wonderful strike 10 minutes from time salvaged some extent for the guests after Erling Haaland’s fiftieth Premier League aim put Metropolis in entrance.
A share of the spoils means there stays only one level between the edges and that Arsenal can now take prime spot from Metropolis in the event that they win at Brentford afterward Saturday.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp made his displeasure clear on the early kick-off time on the again of a world break the place either side had gamers in World Cup qualifying motion in South America little over 72 hours in the past.
Fatigue appeared an element because the anticipated fireworks did not materialise.
“Getting ready for probably the most tough recreation of the season with one (coaching) session is mostly a problem,” mentioned Klopp.
“We’re nonetheless in a course of. If we’d performed rather well at the moment, we may have gained – we didn’t. We performed okay.”
Metropolis boss Pep Guardiola lauded the style by which his facet restricted a free-scoring Liverpool to valuable few possibilities.
However the English champions lacked precision themselves within the closing third and have been made to pay for not constructing on their lead.
“I’m actually proud that after eight years we’re nonetheless taking part in that manner,” mentioned Guardiola. “We have been actually good in all departments and wanted to be towards an unbelievable workforce.
“Possibly we missed the final cross slightly bit however they defended rather well.”
Alisson escapes
Alisson Becker was let off the hook by Phil Foden’s weak shot after the Brazilian gifted away possession inside his personal field.
However the Liverpool goalkeeper was not so lucky when his subsequent sliced clearance picked out Nathan Ake.
The Dutch defender dribbled ahead earlier than choosing out Haaland, who discovered the far nook on 27 minutes.
Haaland’s fiftieth Premier League aim in his forty eighth look smashed the earlier file for the quickest half century held by Andy Cole in 65 matches.
On the different finish, Darwin Nunez was Liverpool’s largest menace as Mohamed Salah did not construct on his spectacular file towards Metropolis.
Ederson clawed away Nunez’s first-half header and turned a robust effort behind at his close to publish after the break.
Nevertheless it was Metropolis who had seemed the extra probably so as to add to their lead within the second half as Liverpool struggled to comprise the velocity of Jeremy Doku on the counter-attack.
The Belgian winger teed up Julian Alvarez with an excellent probability that the Argentine spooned over.
Alisson was handed one other let-off 20 minutes from time when he spilled a nook underneath minimal strain from Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias tapped residence.
Nevertheless, a VAR test didn’t overturn the referee’s on-field resolution to award the Liverpool ‘keeper a smooth free-kick.
As an alternative it was the Reds who hit again towards the run of play when Salah laid the ball into Alexander-Arnold’s path for a improbable end into the underside nook.
Metropolis pushed for a winner and have been inches away when Haaland headed extensive in eight minutes of added time, however they have been thwarted as Guardiola’s males did not win at residence for the primary time since December 31 final yr.
Tensions then boiled over after full-time when Klopp needed to pull Nunez away from an altercation with Guardiola however each coaches performed down the importance of that incident.
