Liverpool 2-0 Manchester City: Dominant win keeps Reds on top | OneFootball

Liverpool 2 – 0 Manchester City – The CL Postmortem

The atmosphere at Anfield before kick-off was utterly electric as two of the biggest clubs in the Premier League clashed on the opening date of December. Pep Guardiola was encountering the most challenging period of his managerial career, whereas Arne Slot was looking to solidify his place on the world’s top table of football coaches.

Below is how the team lined up, with match details following.

The Starting Eleven

GK – Caoimhin Kelleher

RB – Trent Alexander Arnold

RCB – Joe Gomez

LCB – Virgil van Dijk (c)

LB – Andy Robertson

CM – Alexis Mac Allister

ACM – Dominik Szoboszlai

CM – Ryan Gravenberch

RF – Mohamed Salah

CF – Luis Díaz

LF – Cody Gakpo

Subs

Darwin Núñez – Cody Gakpo (73 mins)

Jarell Quansah – Trent Alexander Arnold (73 mins)

Curtis Jones – Mohamed Salah (84 mins)

Harvey Elliott – Luis Díaz (90+2 mins)

Goals (Assisted by)

Liverpool 1 – 0 Manchester City

Cody Gakpo (Mohamed Salah) – 12 mins

Liverpool 2 – 0 Manchester City

Mohamed Salah (Penalty) – 78 mins

Important Match Stats

Possession

Liverpool 44% – 56% Manchester City

XG

Liverpool 3.35 – 0.82 Manchester City

Total Shots

Liverpool 18 – 8 Manchester City

Corner Kicks

Liverpool 7 – 4 Manchester City

Off Sides

Liverpool 4 – 3 Manchester City

Fouls

Liverpool 9 – 8 Manchester City

Goalkeeper Saves

Liverpool 3 – 5 Manchester City

The First Half

The opening period of the game was overwhelmingly positive for the hosts, as Liverpool exerted relentless pressure on Manchester City. Dominik Szoboszlai, the Hungarian skipper, delivered what could be considered the best performance of his Merseyside career. He nearly assisted the opening goal with a beautifully arced cross towards the back post of City’s goal. It was Virgil van Dijk who rose above his marker to head the ball towards the far post, but it went just wide.

It did not take long for the scoreline to change from 0-0, as the Reds took a well-deserved 1-0 lead. The returning vice-captain, Trent Alexander-Arnold, delivered a perfectly weighted through ball to the advancing Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian King. With a deft manoeuvre into the penalty box, Salah made a precise pass across the goalmouth to the waiting Cody Gakpo, who finished with ease. Liverpool’s dominance was clear, and they did not look back.

With complete control of the pitch and defensive strength from Van Dijk and his partner, Joe Gomez, Liverpool continued to dominate. Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister controlled the midfield, allowing the attackers to exploit their markers repeatedly. Trent nearly scored from outside the box, and Virgil van Dijk came close to heading in a corner. Both efforts drifted narrowly wide, as Arne Slot’s men in red had their way with Pep Guardiola’s shell-shocked visitors.

The half ended with Liverpool leading 1-0, though they should have been ahead by a greater margin.

The Second Half

At the start of the second half, the home side made no changes, as the Liverpool head coach sent out the same eleven players who had dominated the team in blue.

After some gentle probing, the 6ft 4in frame of the Liverpool captain had a great opportunity to score again, but his glancing header from a corner sailed over the bar. This moment only postponed the inevitable, as the home side continued their relentless counter-pressing.

With a more controlled and deeper position on the field, it was clear that the Premier League leaders had been instructed to show patience and capitalize on opportunities. As a result, and with a group of eager players in red, Mohamed Salah found himself racing into an open space; however, his hesitation caused his shot to soar over the bar. Shortly after, a more aggressive off-ball movement led to Colombian forward Luis Díaz charging toward goal, where an onrushing Stefan Ortega fouled him. The legendary number 11, Salah, converted the resulting penalty, further solidifying the notion that the game was decided.

With a series of smart substitutions and strategic in-game decisions, the only notable moment was when Virgil van Dijk was caught off guard and stripped of the ball by Kevin De Bruyne, leading to a solid save from the underworked goalkeeper, Caoimhin Kelleher.

The match concluded with Liverpool triumphing over their greatest current rivals, creating an impressive nine-point gap between them and second-placed Arsenal and Chelsea, while extending their lead over reigning champions Manchester City to eleven points.

This contest marked the beginning of a new era and represented the opportunity to embrace the potential of this regeneration. Every player who started the match and came off the bench contributed to Liverpool’s claim to the throne and their pursuit of a 20th English League title in the club’s history.

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction;

Liverpool 3 – 1 Manchester City