Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool
It was billed as the battle of the champions and the challengers.
In the words of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, a meeting that was ‘do or die’ for their hopes of regaining the title.
No wonder then that this Premier League battle was eagerly anticipated amongst football fans.
Rarely have SBOBET followers had such a potential treat on a Thursday night in January!
Highlights of the game
Goals were always expected.
Putting aside a 0-0 draw when the teams met back in October and it took more than an hour before either side had an attempt on target, this fixture usually usually throws up plenty.
More still, the teams had scored a combined 136 goals in league and cup between them so far this term making this clash one of the undoubted Premier League 2018/19 highlights.
The outcome was also likely to be key in terms of Premier League 2019 betting odds.
Liverpool began 2019 with a seven-point lead at the top – no team has ever failed to win the title after heading into the new year so far ahead- meaning any result other than a home victory would leave City with a mountain to climb in the title race.
Yet this is a City side which has had global domination in their sights since the Abu Dhabi Shiekh Mansour takeover of 2008.
This is a City side which romped to the prize last season, setting records virtually every step of the way, even if Guardiola played down suggestions there will be a repeat this campaign.
This is a City side which isn’t prepared to give in.
On the night Sergio Aguero notched his 250thcareer league goals, on the night Guardiola clinched his 100th success as boss at Eastlands, this proved to be City’s night – just!
From the outset it had been intense with some nerves, understandably, on display.
There was little in the way of chances, however, until the 19th minute when Liverpool were inches away from opening the scoring.
Footballer of the year Mo Salah slid in a clever pass which opened the home defence and Sadio Mane slipped the ball beyond Ederson only to see it hit the inside of the post and bounce away – even then it took John Stones (at the second attempt) to prevent the ball crossing the line as his initial clearance struck his own goalkeeper.
As VAR goes, it was pretty much as close as you can get to a goal.
A turning point in the season?
Five minutes before half-time, a relentless attack saw City knocking on the door and, while Liverpool defended doggedly to resist the initial moments of danger, they were breached when Bernardo Silva clipped the ball to Aguero and with a deft touch he expertly swivelled before lashing the ball ferociously beyond Alisson.
Into the second half and City had the edge but knew the danger of the visitors. The importance of skipper Vincent Kompany was clear as he cleared a Roberto Firmino shot off the line with Ederson stranded.
Yet the respite was brief as visiting full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold combined with Andrew Robertson, the right back’s deep cross being turned back across goal by the left back and Firmino gleefully headed Liverpool level.
City looked shocked and the next goal seemed crucial.
Just when it seemed Liverpool were on top, the champions showed their class.
Leroy Sane drove a left-footed shot across Alisson and in via the post to restore the home side’s lead.
It was frantic in the last 10 minutes as City chased a goal to seal the points and Liverpool tried to secure a goal which would keep them as firm title favourites instead of slight favourites.
Alisson somehow denied Aguero, Ederson managed to deny Salah, Georginio Wijnaldum almost forced the ball over the line and Alisson saved Liverpool again, this time from Bernardo Silva before Raheem Sterling fired the rebound narrowly wide.
The full-time whistle sparked an electric reaction among the home faithful, delight as much as relief at knowing how close Liverpool had come to killing off their title hopes.
It was quite a night.
The title race is back on. Liverpool’s unbeaten run is over.
Key statistics
Both sides could have looked at the statistics pre-match and interpreted them positively or negatively.
For instance, City’s 5-0 victory in this fixture last season (a match in which Liverpool played for nearly an hour with 10 men) had been their solitary win in the past 11 meetings with the red half of Merseyside in all competitions (drawn three, lost seven).
However, Liverpool had only won once in nine league visits to the Etihad Stadium (a 4-1 success in November 2015 a month after Jurgen Klopp had joined the club).
Manchester City have now won their opening Premier League match of the calendar year in 12 of the past 13 seasons – losing the other in 2012 away at Sunderland.
Aguero has scored in all seven of his home league appearances against Liverpool (seven).
Liverpool’s solitary win in the past 11 Premier League away fixtures against the other established top-six sides came against Spurs at Wembley in September (drawn five, lost four).
What’s next?
There’s no question City’s schedule is more hectic than most this January.
That continues with a further six matches before the month is out.
The next three are all at home.
Rotherham are the visitors in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday before they entertain Burton in the first leg of the League Cup semi-finals next week.
It’s then back to the league on January 14 when Wolves are the visitors to the Etihad.
Wolves are actually Liverpool’s next opponents in the FA Cup on Monday (January 7) before the Merseysiders travel to Brighton in the top flight on January 12.
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