Manchester City - Liverpool: Mohamed Salah converted an early Liverpool penalty but Gabriel Jesus had an answer as Man City drew the reigning champions 1-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The frenetic first half was fantastic, with Kevin De Bruyne missing a penalty that would’ve given City an edge, but the second half was tepid in the pouring rain.
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Jesus’ goal was his third in three matches this season, City finally getting center forward production in the absence of Sergio Aguero, but he also planted a header wide of the goal.
Liverpool will head into the international break a point back of leaders Leicester City, behind Tottenham on goal differential. City is five points back of Liverpool with 12 points, but has played one fewer PL match.
Manchester City - Liverpool started great and petered out. Here’s what you missed.
Manchester City - Liverpool key stats, notes
Shots: 10-7 Liverpool
Possession: 54-46 Man City
Big Chances: 3-1 Man City (Stats via SofaScore)
Alexander-Arnold injury: The Reds’ playmaking right back and two-time PFA Team of the Year member left the game with a non-contact injury after pulling up while tracking back in the second half (Details here).
Man of the Match
It could’ve been De Bruyne but the missed penalty sours that idea. So we suppose it almost goes to Mane by default.
Manchester City - Liverpool recap
Liverpool won a penalty within a dozen minutes as Sadio Mane hit the deck after dribbling past Kyle Walker. Salah blasted his penalty home for 1-0.
Man City was livid not for the call, but because Raheem Sterling was fouled more clearly at the other end moments earlier.
Kevin De Bruyne found Sterling at the back post in the 25th, and the Englishman forced a save out of Alisson Becker.
Jesus had the ball in the goal six minutes later, as De Bruyne turned a Walker entry pass into the 18 and the Brazilian pounced past Trent Alexander-Arnold to poke past Alisson.
City wanted a penalty when De Bruyne’s 39th-minute cross struck Joe Gomez’s arm as the center back tried to pull it away, much like the Leicester City penalty against Wolves but at a slighlty-greated distance.
But De Bruyne put it wide of the goal after sending Alisson the wrong way.
Alexander-Arnold slightly beat Ederson with a driven shot from in-tight, but the Brazilian goalkeeper rescued the ball after it squirted through him.
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Ederson and Alisson made intervened to stop crosses at both ends to start the second half, the game that flipping to the City end again as Jota hit the ball to Ederson.
Joao Cancelo spotted Jesus for a point-blank header but the Brazilian snapped his header wide of the near post. De Bruyne then whipped a shot a foot over the bar.