(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights MAN CITY - LIVERPOOL

Well, last season may have suggested otherwise, but this is now officially a meeting of the best two sides in England. Both recent Premier League and Champions League winners, both boasting some of the world's greatest players, both guided by two of the most extraordinary coaches on the planet. This is some way to return to domestic action after the international break, and it seems ideal that the venue is here, the Etihad Stadium, where the Blues haven't dropped a single point since last December. It's in the centre circle, gives it out wide, Foden helps it on first time, Simicas is in the way, Simicas back to Van Dijk, Van Dijk all the way back to Alisson. There's a similarity, a symmetry between the way both teams are playing, mind you. Oh, he's given it away, straight to Foden, Alisson with a terrible mistake, and he's lucky, because Foden hit the shot completely without power. Alisson just gave it straight to Foden on the edge of the area, but Foden couldn't get it beyond him. Mistake, first chance. Yeah, massive mistakes trying to play out, a little cross-turn, played a diagonal pass on the deck to Phil Foden, tried to get his shot away but it was quite tame. Alisson, the deepest-lying midfield player, plays it back to Matic, gets away from Harley, good run from Matic, excellent run from Matic, all the way to the City area, Salah puts in a cross, the header's a great one, Ederson with a brilliant save! And the ball is now City foul, it's a free kick, but that's the first chance of the match really, apart from the Foden one, and it was a really good save by Ederson. Nunes there, just literally gets at the end of Mo Salah's cross, just tries to glance the header, Ederson palms it away. Good possession from City, Pec Guardiola says calm down, don't get too frenetic, ball goes out wide to Bernardo Silva, now Bernardo Silva can take on Alexander-Arnold, comes inside, plays it to Alvarez, Alvarez now on the edge of the area, out wide it goes to Doku, Doku up against Alexander-Arnold, plays it to Bernardo Silva, good turn but then he loses it, and it's good covering tackling by Curtis Jones, ooh, that was a strange old back pass, he should never have given it to Alisson there, Alisson had Haaland alongside him, and he gets away with it. Alisson almost got his pocket picked, Haaland just got a little bit on it. Looks like it's not gonna be short, Alvarez does play it short to Bernardo Silva, who made a sudden burst towards the near post area, on it goes now to Foden, Foden tries the shot which is deflected and it pops up for Alisson to save. Alisson looking for the immediate counter-attack ball to Salah, mis-hits it completely, played it to Ake, Ake now, tries to go outside, lovely dribble from Ake, on he goes to Haaland, 1-0! City score! Haaland's first chance of the game, Ake with the set, Haaland with the finish, City 1-0 Liverpool! Oh, what a goal from City, Nathan Ake has said he was there just to stop Salah, I didn't think he'd expect him to create, it was a wonderful bit of skill, he just jinxed inside and then gets his head up, Haaland in the space, when he gets that ball, something to run forward to, takes his touch out of his feet, left-footed, he just sweeps it right across Alisson, you knew it was a goal, you knew it would be accurate, a fantastic goal from Haaland. Curtis Jones on the edge of the area, plays it across towards Salah, it wasn't a great ball and Bernardo Silva has it, and on it goes to Doku, and now City are coming forward, Doku eating up the Etihad Stadium pitch, he keeps on going, on he goes to Alvarez! Oh, it's right across the face of the goal and out for a goal kick, I think he was in two minds to cross or shoot, he didn't either. It was that, because it was just stretched a little bit, Doku does incredibly well, drives right through the centre of the pitch, and then he's got options, he just tries to clip it, it just goes out of play. On the edge of the City area with the Diaz, back it goes to Ederson, Ederson pops a ball through, lovely ball, Bernardo Silva now, on it goes to Alvarez, and Liverpool are out of shape here, there's a real chance for City, here's Foden now, it's four-on-four, there's a gap over to the left, but Foden shoots! And it's tip-wise! Foden went for the near post, Alisson stretched out a hand. The ball from Ederson is an absolute joke, it's a big risk, but it's sensational into that man, Bernardo turns, sets off the attack, Alvarez lots of choices as Foden dances in from that right-hand side onto that left foot, he's just gonna creep into the near post, it's a great effort, just that little touch is a good save. Doku now in the left-wing position, up against Alexander-Arnold, takes him on, gets to the byline, can he find a cross? Yes, he can, and Haaland can't quite get to it. Into the air it goes, Foden nudged out of it, ball is cleared only as far as Rodri, Rodri hits it, takes a deflection, corner, handball, says Rodri, handball, says Rodri. I don't think it was, you know, I don't think it was, I'm not convinced. Shot from Rodri comes in, and... No, not for me, not for me. City corner, Alvarez will take it, City's second of the second half. The goalkeeper's ball, he's missed it! Oh, the referee has given a foul, he's given a foul, he says it won't count. He's standing on it, holding his toe, Alisson. He says it's a foul by Diaz, no goal. Is it just because he jumps with the goalkeeper, is that enough? Oh, wow, there's not much. That is nothing, is it? There's not much in that, this is so interesting, what a moment, Ali, in this big game. Absolutely, that is nothing, I tell you what, that is nothing. Flutes and spectacles aside, Akanji's jumped, he's not pushed him. Had that not been given as a foul, VAR wouldn't have overruled the other way. The ball is with Sabos Lai, he's in the centre circle, helps it on to Luis Diaz, Diaz out wide to Salah, Salah up against Ake, just the kind of position he wants, goes in towards Nunes, and the shot goes wide, a corner's been given. I think it might have been Ederson that got a touch on that. City win it back, Alvarez gets away from a couple of challenges, away from Gravenberth, on it goes to Walker, Walker advancing down the right side, keeps on going, Nunes went with him, on it goes to Foden, Nunes is still battling back, and that's a yellow card all day long for Darwin Nunez, for fouling Foden. No choice, steps across, yellow card, and now a good position for City, good quality, can the delivery be right? And Alvarez will take this free kick. So, free kick to City, Alvarez delivers, and Haaland heads it over. One of those where he's never going in. Great ball from Akanji now, there's acres of space for Doku, Hat-tip's come across with him, Doku into the penalty area, couple of stepovers, gets beyond him, whoa, great save from Alisson, Haaland hits it goal-bound, Alisson with the body, great chance to make it 2-0, Pec Guardiola bangs his hands on his head in frustration that it's still 1-0. Now Liverpool coming forward, Brian Gravenberth, as it goes to Luis Diaz, Luis Diaz in the left-wing position, taking on Kyle Walker, plays it to the edge of the area, Salah's now got to it, Salah twisting and turning, lays it off, shot from Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool equalise, City 1-1. It's a wonderful goal from the Liverpool perspective, as Trent Alexander-Arnold comes across, it's literally a wonderful finish into that far corner, it's a difficult skill, we know he's got great quality, but he just drifts in late at that point, devastating finish. It's 1-1 at the Etihad Stadium, and there are ten minutes to go. Alisson, well that's terrible from Alisson, Diaz picks it up, on it goes now to Alvarez, Alvarez in the crossing position, and it's headed away by Alexander-Arnold. Doku now in the left-wing position, gets away from Elliott, puts it in low, City corner right at the end of the game. There's only been one team trying to win it and stop his time. It's a City corner, we're in the last minute of added time, City corner, Alvarez will hit an in-swinging ball, all those big men are up from the back, the delivery's towards the near, Harlan touches it wide! Little flick from Harlan, beat everybody, beat the post, goal kick, tiny, tiny, tiny margins, and City could have won it right at the end. And Liverpool have grabbed themselves a point, the reality is that City should have had a second goal today that would have sunk Liverpool once and for all. Final score here of City 1-1 Liverpool.