Manuel Akanji has said Manchester City were not affected by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s attempt to unsettle them before Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Liverpool and praised his team for the resilience they showed at Anfield.
Alexander-Arnold touched a nerve at City in the buildup to the game, saying that Liverpool’s trophies in recent years “mean more to us and our fanbase because of the situations at both clubs financially”. Erling Haaland responded by saying that the Liverpool right-back, who is injured, did not know how it felt to win a treble, which City did last time out before adding the European Super Cup and Club World Cup in the first half of this season. Rúben Dias said “a treble is a feeling you can only know when you actually do it” while Kyle Walker said Alexander-Arnold’s words had been “floating around the changing room” at City.
The rivalry between the clubs has defined the top level of English football since 2017-18 and Akanji, who was preferred by Pep Guardiola to Dias in central defence at the weekend, said that Alexander-Arnold’s comments had been a ploy to get inside City’s heads. “Probably he tried it to [be that way] but it didn’t matter to us,” Akanji said. “I don’t think it affected us. In the end we tried to go on the pitch and show our performance. I mean, it didn’t affect me.
“I don’t know why he said it. He didn’t even play. He can’t tell because he didn’t win it. That’s all I have to say. If you win three titles in one year, or five which we did last year, then he can speak again.”
City faced what Guardiola described as a “tsunami” of pressure after Alexis Mac Allister’s equaliser from the penalty spot in the 50th minute, Liverpool feeding off the emotion of the crowd, pressing high and aggressively, creating chances. City had to absorb the blow of losing their goalkeeper, Ederson, on 56 minutes – he was injured in the act of fouling Darwin Núñez for the penalty – and when Jürgen Klopp introduced Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah from the bench just after the hour, his team had fresh balance and threat.
City did well to resist, although Liverpool’s poor finishing was a part of it, particularly that of Luis Díaz. Klopp’s team were also unlucky not to get a second penalty in stoppage time when the City substitute Jérémy Doku went into Mac Allister with a high boot. Guardiola’s decision to swap Kevin De Bruyne and Julián Álvarez for Mateo Kovacic and Doku in the 69th minute was an important part of City regaining some of the control they had enjoyed in the first half. Doku would hit the inside of the post on 89 minutes.
“It was a different game for us to what we normally have,” Akanji said. “We normally have more control. We knew how it is to play here … that at some point the crowd is always going to be there and support them … and we stood together and fought until the end. We have to take the draw and it’s also good that we showed this side of us. That we can do this as well and not just be the dominant team.”
The result meant Arsenal stayed top of the table, above Liverpool on goal difference, City one point back in third and, for the first time since 2013-14, we have a three-horse race for the title with 10 games to play. That was the season when Manuel Pellegrini’s City came home in front of Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool and José Mourinho’s Chelsea, who he had described as a “little horse.”
City againt Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on 31 March after the international break could prove pivotal. City also have Aston Villa at home and Brighton and Tottenham away.
Arsenal’s remaining fixtures look the hardest. They not only have to go to City but Brighton, Tottenham and Manchester United while they have Chelsea and Aston Villa at home. Liverpool’s most difficult games appear to be Everton and United away, plus Spurs at home. City are chasing a fourth consecutive top-flight title. No English club has ever achieved the feat.
“Of course it changes it when there are three teams instead of two but we just have to focus on ourselves,” Akanji said. “We are still there and our next game in the league is against Arsenal so we have to show a good performance against them.”
