Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s LIVE coverage of Liverpool vs Manchester City match.
City takes one last attempt after van Dijk handles the ball. It is unable to convert it and the referee blows the full time whistle. So much talk for Liverpool being out of form but the team has produced the result against the top guns. Salah scored his third goal of the season and that was enough to seal the three points and Liverpool’s third win of the season. City was poor with its delivery in the final third. It went ahead through Foden only for the goal to be disallowed by VAR for a foul in the build-up. The match ended on a feisty note which led to Jurgen Klopp getting sent off. Manchester City falls four points behind leader Arsenal after the loss - its first of the season. For Liverpool, the hopes are brought back to life that the season may not be over just yet.
Liverpool Substitution - 90+8’
City is yet again poor with its delivery into the penalty area as it misses a chance to convert an attack. Haaland takes a header one minute from time but the attempt is saved by Alisson.
Six minutes of stoppage time. City is building an attack but it ends when Cancelo misses a pass. Liverpool then misses a chance after Nunez’s square pass to Trent in front of goal is sent wide.
89’ City Substitution
89’ Liverpool Substitution
The Portuguese defender squanders another easy clearance and Liverpool is allowed to mount three plon a counter. Nunez who has rhe ball, however, does not pass the ball on time and the ball is cleared. Selfish from the Uruguayan.
86’ Red card for Jurgen Klopp
84’ Yellow card for Thiago
Manchester City has had a number of corners but has failed to convert any of them. The delivery too has not been upto the mark.
Cancelo gets a perfectely weighted long ball and he squares it first time. The ball is headed to Haaland at the back post but the Dutchman steps in and prevents any danger.
78’ Yellow Card for Akanji
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City - Salah 76’
The deadlock is broken! Mo Salah puts his team ahead. It is 1-0 to Liverpool.
72’ Liverpool Substitutions
End to end play at Anfield. City thwarts a counter by Liverpool and then sets out towards the opposite end. KDB plays to Silva, and the ball then goes to Foden who plays it to Haaland. Ultimately, on Silva is able to take a shot from outside the penalty area which goes wide off goal.
City wins a corner after the ball is taken away from Gundogan who is trying to move into the penalty area. City fail to make Alisson work from the set piece.
Haaland gets a look at goal when he receives the ball on the edge of the penalty area. He shoots but Alisson gets down to his right and gets a firm hand behind the ball.
63’ Yellow Card for Fabinho
A sustained spell of possession by City until De Bruyne’s pass to Cancelo is intercepted by Robertson. Liverpool wins a corner from the attack but nothing comes from it.
The disallowed goal has added spice to the contest. The game has sprung to life all of a sudden. Jota had a chance to head the ball home but he missed. City wins a corner after Gundogan’s shot is deflected wide.
Drama at Anfield! This is unbelievable. Foden scores after Haaland is denied by Alisson. The goal is put under the VAR scanner and Anthony Taylor is called to the screen to check the decision. Haaland pulled Fabinho’s shirt in the build up and the goal is disallowed. Pep is fuming on the touchline.
Salah has missed a sitter. City was building an attack of its own but Thiago threads a cheeky through ball to Salah and the Egyptian is on his way. He is one on one against Ederson but he plays it wide of the left post. Replays show that the City custodian got a hand on it. Ederson has hurt himself in that save.
A quite start to the second half and City has taken control of the initial moments of the period.
We’re underway at Anfield for the second period of 45 minutes. The game is still up for grabs and either side could take it.
Both teams have looked confident and have had moments to get ahead. The better chances have fallen to the visiting side. Haaland has been surprisingly quite, given his previous outings in the league. Liverpool have looked far from the out-of-form side that has been struggling in the league. It still has all to play for as it looks to maintain its unbeaten run at Anfield. Back shortly for the second half.
City tries to play a move from the right side. De Bruyne plays the ball to Foden who is in the middle of the park. Foden then passes to Silva at the left flank but the move fizzles out. Jota tries one last dash into the City half but Ake intercepts his pass. That is the end of first half.
The home team is adamant to play the ball out from the back. It attempts multiple passes but City is eventually able to steal the ball away.
De Bruyne with his typical curling ball in to the Liverpool penalty area. Haaland slips behind Joe Gomez. But he is too far wide to head the ball across towards the goal. Alisson stands firm and saves the shot.
Robertson and Firmino play a neat one-two move on the left flank which allows the left back to move into space in the City penalty area. He is attempting to square the ball across when Dias comes in with a sliding tackle to get the ball out of danger.
37 minutes into the match, City has 6 shots compared to Liverpool’s 2.
Liverpool is claiming a foul by Rodri on Salah but City continues with the match. Kevin De Bruyne hoists the ball into the box where Haaland takes a header but he has no control or power over it.
Haaland makes a run and he gets a proper pass. While van Dijk is tracking him, Alisson tries to come forward and steal the ball. The Brazilian misjudges and Haaland spots the mistake. He tries a chip over the keeper but the ball is close enough for Alisson to get a save in.
City creates a move from the right. KDB and Cancelo play a one-two move. The Belgian then passes to Haaland. The striker attracts bodies and that leaves Foden open on the left. The young England player however takes one touch too many to attempt a shot. He is forced to pass the ball back t where Silva takes a shot but to no avail.
Robertson clears the ball to get his side out of a spot of bother. The ball lands in Salah’s path. The Egyptian is unable to control it but it somehow goes to Elliot who is further right. The teenager has to only beat Ake to get a sight of goal but the Dutch defender steals the ball off Elliot.
What a move by Liverpool! Jota gets a through ball while on a run in behind. He taps the ball to Gomez on the right. The fullback reaches the ball and crosses. Ederson steps a yard out and parries it away but the ball goes in front of Robertson. Robertson tries a shot but the attempt goes sailing over the bar.
Salah makes a steaming run into the City half. He fights off of Ake and continues forward. In the penalty area, he tries to nutmeg Dias but is unsuccessful. The corner is cleared but Elliot gets the ball and he crosses it back in. Jota meets it but the attempt is saved by Ederson.
Diogo Jota is chasing a long ball played in behind. The Portuguese defender comes rushing back to clear the danger and is successful.
Haaland gets the ball on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area and he collects and shoots. The shot is blocked by Gomez. City keeps the ball in control and Gundogan takes a long range shot but is easily saved by Alisson.
Foden is waiting to collect a loose ball until teenager Elliot comes to the rescue.
The possession chart shows that City has had 68% off the ball. Remarkable given the early minutes in the game. Liverpool has not taken a clear touch of the ball for the last three minutes now.
The right-back has ample space when he gets the ball on the right flank. Instead of charging forward, he chooses to cross the ball in. There is no City shirt to meet the pass and Alisson collects the ball.
Haaland gets a ball on the edge of the Liverpool half. He turns and shrugs off Joe Gomez. A darting run and he passes to Cancelo on the right. The Portuguese is unable to keep the ball in control as he tries to beat Robertson and the ball goes out for a goalkick. The visitor looks like it is settling in.
The home team has looked in control so far. It is pressing high which has forced City to play long balls. The collection has been poor by the City front line and that hands the ball back to Liverpool.
Good intent by Liverpool. Salah gets the ball in the box and he tries to play it across but Dias steps in between and clears the ball. A few afters between Andy Robertson and Bernanrdo Silva after they collide during a tackle fighting for a common ball.
Erling Haaland gets the ball rolling from the centre circle and off we go. Liverpool right from the get go imposes a high press which helps it win the ball back from City.
The players are making their way onto the pitch. Grab your seats folks, this is going to be a cracker of a contest. The ‘You’ll never walk alone’ anthem is sung in unison by the packed Anfield crowd.
It’s Liverpool. The position on the table doesn’t matter in these matches. The players know this. Liverpool has been the rival to compete in the last few years. (We need) Brilliant performance, (be) aggressive in duals and long balls. The team that imposes its style will win.
Little muscle injury (to Kounate) so no chance for this match. We wanted freshest possible legs for this match. (We need to) Play a really good game and be ready to suffer. Cause trouble in your moments. Be brave and lively, create your chances and defend also.
The Norwegian striker has a goal average of 1.67 goals per game in the Premier League this season. At this rate, he will score 64 goals by the end of the season. He currently has 15 goals in nine matches.
Liverpool has dropped to the 12th place in the points table after West Ham United drew against Southampton and collected a point. Liverpool has 10 points off eight games. A win tonight could see the side move to 8th spot.
The two teams faced each other in the F.A. Community Shield match in August. Trent Alexander Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez scored for the Reds. Julian Alvarez got the consolation goal for City.
Liverpool - Lost 2-3 vs Arsenal
Manchester City - Won 4-0 vs Southampton
Liverpool: L-D-D-W-W
Manchester City: W-W-W-D-W
Liverpool has been struggling in the Premier League this season and has won just two out of its eight matches. It sits in 11th place with just 10 points.
Manchester City is just one point behind Arsenal, the league topper, in 2nd place with 23 points. It is also unbeaten this season.
In the Premier League, the sides have faced each other 52 times. Liverpool has won 21 matches, City has won 11, while 20 have ended as draws.
Man City fans will be elated after seeing the Norwegian in the starting line up. It was a no brainer actually. The striker had been rested midweek which was a clear hint of him starting today. Haaland has 15 goals in nine matches in the Premier League, so far.
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson - Gomez, van Dijk, Milner, Robertson - Fabinho, Elliot, Thiago - Firmino, Salah, Jota.
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson - Cancelo, Ake, Dias, Akanji- Rodri, de Bruyne, Gundogan - Bernardo Silva, Foden, Haaland.
Lead leader Arsenal is 1-0 up against Leeds United at half-time. The win for the Gunners will ensure that it will remain top of the table. A draw or a loss, followed by a Manchester City win could see the week end with the Mancunians leading the Premier League table.
The playing XIs of both teams are expected to be released in the next few minutes. Liverpool is facing an injury crisis and will bve fielding a depleted back line. City will hope to start Haaland after he was benched mid week against Copenhagen.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson - Gomez, van Dijk, Fabinho, Robertson - Henderson, Thiago - Firmino, Salah, Jota - Nunez.
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson - Cancelo, Ake, Dias, Gomez - Rodri, de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva - Grealish, Foden, Haaland.
PREVIEW
Manchester City travels to Liverpool in a meeting of the Premier League’s most dominant teams of the past four years.
But Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp goes into the game facing major questions over his ability to keep pace with Pep Guardiola after a difficult start has his team 13 points adrift of the reigning champion.
Klopp insists Liverpool is out of the title race — even at such an early stage — but Guardiola claims it remains City’s greatest threat at the top.
Focus will again be on Erling Haaland, the newest sensation in the Premier League who has scored 15 goals in just nine appearances for City.
Liverpool will hope that Mohamed Salah can ride high on the back of his fastest Champions League hat-trick during the week, against Rangers, and emulate the form in the English top flight.
-with inputs from AP
WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH
The Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield will kick-off at 4:30 PM BST or 9:00 PM IST on Sunday, October 16.
The match will be live telecast on Star Sports Select HD in India. The live streaming will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar app.
Comments
SHARE