It was hailed as one of the best 0-0s in recent memory as Liverpool and Chelsea shared an entertaining Carabao Cup final on Sunday, settled by another Kepa Arrizabalaga penalty drama. Back in 2019, when City won their second of four consecutive League Cups, Kepa refused to be substituted ahead of a penalty shoot-out but was helpless as the Blues were successful from the spot.
Fast forward three years, and Kepa was the one substituted on this time, replacing the brilliant Eduoard Mendy late on but failing to stop any of Liverpool's 11 penalties before skying his decisive kick to cost Chelsea the cup. As City fans, and the rest of the football world, enjoyed the irony of Kepa's latest penalty mishap in a Carabao Cup final, Pep Guardiola will have been more interested in the 120 minutes that preceded it, with the boss given a rare chance to see Liverpool face a side willing to attack them.
Chelsea had three goals disallowed for offside as they pushed to win the game in normal time, while Mason Mount was twice sent through on goal after beating the offside trap but his finishing deserted him. Chelsea, given offside seven times in the 120 minutes, looked to exploit the space in behind Liverpool, and it was more on their inability to stay onside rather than Liverpool's offside trap that saw the goals ruled out.
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Key men Mo Salah and Sadio Mane were largely isolated, while influential full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson were not given as much freedom as they would have liked. At the other end, Liverpool also had a goal disallowed but that came from a set piece and City have been much improved defending such attacks this season.
Watching on, Guardiola won't have seen anything from Liverpool that would have worried him, or that he didn't already know.
It's understandable for both sides to be cagey as this was a cup final at Wembley after all. While both sides have enjoyed European success recently, they have lacked behind City in domestic cups and have seen how the Carabao Cup has kick-started the Blues in the Premier League and in Europe.
That's something City will have to be wary of now Liverpool have handed themselves a mid-season boost.
On the other hand, defeat can have an adverse effect on Premier League form, so it's entirely fair for Liverpool and Chelsea to err on the side of caution. Of City's four Carabao Cup wins in a row between 2018 and 2021, one was on penalties, one was settled by a late goal, and another was only won by a single goal in a 2-1 win.
Just because Liverpool played it safe at Wembley on Sunday doesn't mean that's how they'll play for the rest of the season in the league.
However, when they travel to City in April, it will be as close to a cup final as you can get in the Premier League. Defeat for either side will make their chances of winning the title far harder, while victory will give that side the momentum for the final six games.
Expect a similarly cagey affair - likely less open than the brilliant 2-2 draw earlier in the season - and that is where the fine margins will be key. After seeing Klopp's defence breached on a number of occasions in Sunday's cup final, Guardiola will be encouraged City can do the same when the April 'cup final' comes around.
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