(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Liverpool - Man City

Klopp's Liverpool and Guardiola's City have had some titanic struggles, created some unforgettable moments and the rivalry between the two sides has reflected the passion, guile and determination of their two wonderful managers. Well, it's a three-horse title race, only two points separate all of them. Every match has genuine resonance but perhaps when the two sets of teams meet each other, perhaps it has even greater significance. So the first thing City need to do is to quieten down the crowd. The first thing they did was win the toss and turn Liverpool around and so they're not attacking the Kop end in the second half, which they so love to do. City have the ball with Haaland, on it goes to De Bruyne and then to Bernardo Silva and Bernardo Silva finds Alvarez, Alvarez on the edge of the area, gets the shot on target and Keller has saved it and already there are very positive signs for the Blues. His shot was on target but it was well gathered by Keller. We're in the seventh minute, just about to complete it. Forward comes Elliott. Elliott now, just inside the City half, plays it straight to Walker there. Foden can't get to it, then he does, it breaks for Roderick. Haaland on halfway, gap over to the left-hand side, Alvarez is in that gap, getting to the edge of the area, on it goes to De Bruyne, across the face of the goal with a little clip ball and it goes out for a goal kick. Another great opportunity for the Blues, they're finding Liverpool's back four very much to their liking but at the moment they can't find that decisive blow. The gap on this near side, Alvarez to De Bruyne, tries to clip it, I think maybe to the far post of Foden. It was just too heavy. Roderick now, just on the edge of the final third, goes wider to Ake, Ake to Alvarez, Alvarez to Bernardo, there's no offside this time. Bernardo Silva clips it in, up towards Haaland, headed away by Van Dijk. Liverpool definitely have problems down this side, Michael. Yeah, the overload there, City exploiting it, good ball in right across the face, just thinking there it is for Haaland, Van Dijk scampering, but good reaction. You'd expect Liverpool to have a few spells, move the ball around, play with high tempo, it's fascinating. It's going to be an out-swinging corner from De Bruyne, De Bruyne hits it in... Low and Stones! City 1-0 Liverpool! One straight off the training ground, De Bruyne hit it low to the near post, Stones got three of his marker, 1-0 the Blues. It's brilliant, I talked about the set-pieces we mentioned, how good, and City have improved so much. That man John Stones, thinking it's going to be pulled back, it's just drilled right across the front post. I don't know how Liverpool don't put anybody across it, and it just sneaks in, touches it past the goalkeeper into that near post, I think fans behind were thinking as it just hit the side netting, it hadn't gone in right in front of those City supporters. Stones got there and pushed it beyond Kelleher, and City lead through John Stones, his first goal of the season, and remember, a former Evertonian as well. Now they're crossing the halfway line at pace, into the middle third and getting towards the final third with Elliott. Elliott holds off a challenge, brings in Gomez, Gomez on to Diaz, Diaz, wonderfully gifted left winger, plays it back to Gomez, Gomez with a diagonal ball, lots of space for Bradley on this near side. Alvarez comes across, Elliott now puts in the cross, and the header is off target! It was Soboslai, not sure who was supposed to pick up the run of Soboslai, nobody really did, and he put it into the Kop end, Michael. Elliott just drifts a lovely ball in, Soboslai gets into a good position, it's a scare for City, well worked. In the last ten minutes of a terrific first half at Anfield, Liverpool 0-1 City, John Stones set piece goal from a corner, from a Kevin De Bruyne assist. The ball is with Haaland, and now De Bruyne, De Bruyne comes forward, might think about shooting, takes a deflection, it's gonna be another City corner. Haaland linking with De Bruyne, De Bruyne on his left foot, tried to pass it into the corner, took an early deflection, and City have the corner. Diaz now, on towards Endo, Liverpool in and around the final third, on towards Elliott, good tackle, and now De Bruyne on the counter, and through he goes to Haaland, Haaland now, well, is he gonna try and go one-on-one with Van Dijk? Well, he keeps on going, he keeps on going, and he puts it straight down the throat of Kelleher! It was a one-on-one from the halfway line, he took on Van Dijk, but he pushed it straight into the arms of Kelleher, that was an interesting moment, wasn't it? Haaland left Van Dijk, wide it goes to De Bruyne, De Bruyne comes off the line and he'll come into City territory, and backwards to Walker. So fascinating, the press, the tempo, anybody who wants to know how to play football, this is as good as it gets. It is, De Bruyne now on to Haaland, Van Dijk's in the way, Gomez in the left-back spot, plays it back to Van Dijk, Haaland dispossesses him, Haaland now, on to Alvarez, Alvarez on the edge of the area, can he get his shot in? He does, but it's over the bar, and out for a goal kick. Van Dijk just hesitated for a moment, Haaland picked his pocket, Alvarez then put the shot over the bar. At the moment it's Liverpool coming forward, but Ake will get there first, he'll guide it back to Ederson, and then there's a claim of a penalty! And what's the referee given? He's given the penalty, Ederson came out to make a challenge, and he mistimed it, and he's pointed to the spot. Darwin Nunes was going towards the ball, Ederson came out to make the tackle, Michael Oliver points to the spot, it was a back pass from Ake, it was a bit short, and Ederson caught Nunes, and it is a Liverpool penalty at the very start of this second half. Ederson's challenge on Nunes, it all came about because of a poor back pass by Ake, and Ederson goes into the notebook, and McAllister has the opportunity immediately to level the scores. McAllister runs up and scores, and it's 1-1 at Anfield, and McAllister has cancelled out John Stone's early goal within moments of the restart. It all comes down to small margins, and Ake's little back pass that didn't have enough pace on it, and Nunes was brought down, and it's 1-1. Now Ederson makes way, and Ortega comes on. Well, the reason that you have back-up goalkeepers readied and already part of the first-team set-up is just for such an eventuality. Now Alvarez wins it back, and he plays it in, and it's cleared by Van Dijk, not a great ball in by Alvarez, you have to say, he was on the edge of the area, having dispossessed Gomez. Now City looking again, Foden into the area, good save by Kelleher, it was on his right foot, Kelleher was on top of him in the blink of an eye, and smothered the attempt from Foden. Two big moments for City, couldn't get in front again. Kelleher helps it on to Van Dijk on the edge of his area, Van Dijk under pressure from Foden, on it goes, tries to win it but loses it Gomez, Haaland now, Gomez at his heels, on towards Alvarez, Alvarez in the left-wing position, but he can't find the right pass, Rodri can't get to it, and because he's on a yellow card he couldn't make the challenge he wanted to. Salah in the gap, on it goes to Diaz, Diaz misses by about two metres! Horrible miss from Luis Diaz, through ball from Mo Salah, mishit I think from Diaz, oh, City survive, Michael. Yeah, they do, it was a wonderful pass, Diaz getting right through the centre, space was there, tries to get that curl into the far corner. Liverpool 1-1, City 1-1, the Callister penalty in the fifth minute of the second half, after a short back pass by Ake, Ederson came to meet Nunez, missed the ball, caught the man, got injured in the process, and Ortega's on for it, Robertson plays it in, and a great save by Ortega in front of Nunez! Wonderful ball from Robertson, and Ortega was outstanding to meet Nunez. Ake now, tries to play it towards Foden, and it's come off the crossbar! Well, Kelleher came out and punched it straight onto Foden, and it bounced off Foden, he knew nothing about it, and then it cannoned off his crossbar. Goodness me, what an extraordinary moment that was. Two minutes to go in Anfield, Kovacic, Kovacic now, it's just overran it, and Liverpool win it back, and Elliott's got it. Elliott forward to Diaz, great challenge Kyle Walker, brilliant from the captain, on it goes to Foden, Foden on the turn, on towards Haaland, Haaland sweeps it wide to Doku, Doku now gets towards the edge of the area, in the penalty area, Doku hits the shot, inside of the post! Doku's hit the post, he got it beyond Kelleher, it came back off the inside of the post, and back to the grateful goalkeeper, stays at 1-1. 1-1 draw at the Etihad, now a 1-1 draw in Anfield. Final score, Liverpool 1-1 City.