The return of the national team break could not have been better for Manchester City, who thrashed Liverpool at the Etihad with a comeback included and in the second half in a game in which Pep Guardiola’s men could not count on their Norwegian striker, Erling Haaland , who continues to suffer from discomfort that has already prevented him from playing against Spain. The hero of the match was Jack Grealish, who played one of his best games with the citizens.
The afternoon confirmed that this is not Liverpool’s season, outside of the European positions, and that City is probably at its best moment of the season, in which it has linked four victories in a row and is hunting Arsenal.
The game was played at full speed, with the intensity typical of the Premier. City searched for the ball from the start, but Liverpool held on pretty well in the first half. Klopp’s men took the lead in the 16th minute on a pass from Alexander Arnold behind the local defense that Diego Jota took advantage of first, holding the ball for Moh Salah to beat Ederson. The tie came after 28 minutes, the work of Julián Ãlvarez. By game, City had already deserved several goals.
The second half began with a goal after 53 seconds scored by Kevin De Bruyne from a pass from Mahrez. There Liverpool collapsed, unable to react anymore, seeing how City passed over him.
City saw their rival injured and scored another two goals before half an hour: Ilkay Gündogan’s 3-1 after a good collective play and picking up a rebound after a shot from Ãlvarez after combining and Grealish’s 4-1 after combine with De Bruyne. The match ended in the middle of a festival for the locals, with the Etihad stands chanting their team’s passes with olés and Liverpool crestfallen and sunk.
