More reaction and analysis
Jamie Jackson’s player ratings for your enjoyment.
Righto, that’s us. Thanks all for your company and comments and enjoy the rest of the weekend – I’ll leave you with David Hytner’s match report. Peace.
We had a big game at the bottom of the table too.
While Christian Eriksen continued his affirming comeback.
And Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall continued his recent good form with his first Premier League goal.
It’s been a big day in Serie A too, and it’s not finished yet.
Jordan Henderson says City are a fantastic team so they knew it’d be tough, but they didn’t lose and are still in the race. He felt his team were a little bit frenetic at times, but they knew City would come out fast, and when they started playing football, they causes problems. Coming back shows a lot of character, he reckons, and says that City are so good with the ball, “you’ve gotta suffer at times”, but thinks his team could’ve defended better especially on the goals. He won’t say if it was a better point for the home side, but acknowledges that they don’t drop many.
Goodness me, I think Jamie Carragher is wearing jeans, possibly denim shirt, a wasitcoat and a blazer. Ah.
I didn’t see this at the time, but really, this country. What is wrong with people?
There is currently a plane flying over the Etihad with a banner that reads: ‘British To Be Minority By 2066’.
— Tom Young (@TomYoungSJ) April 10, 2022
Words fail me. #MCILIV
City ought really to have won that game in the first half, though Liverpool had fractionally higher xG. anyway, here’s Kevin de Bruyne. He says it was hard but his team played well – he knows they conceded twice but they ought to have scored more, especially in the first half. The disappointment is the start of the second, and I think he says Mahrez shouldn’t have chosen to chip the keeper, but even if he doesn’t he implies it, saying if it goes in it’s a wonder goal, but....” Otherwise, he reckons the schedule is too tough for both teams to win all the games, but i’d not be surprised if both of them did.
This is just a ludicrous day of sport. You’ll be wanting to enjoy the final round of the Masters will the great Scott Murray, so do that here:
Liverpool, meanwhile, have Man United home, Everton home, Newcastle away, Tottenham home, Villa away, Southampton away, Wolves home. They’re absolutely good enough to win the lot, but but it’s a big ask.
City’s fixtures are Wolves away, Brighton home, Watford home, Leeds away, Newcastle home, West Ham away, Villa home. If Liverpool aren’t perfect, it’s hard to see them winning it because it’s hard to see City dropping points more than once.
City will be happier with a point, but given how the first half went, Liverpool won’t be too disappointed. That was a really fun game, but the quality wasn’t the highest these teams can produce. The attacking players produced some brilliant moments, but both defences were left unnecessarily exposed and weren’t especially convincing when put under pressure.
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Full-time: Manchester City 2-2 Liverpool
City maintain their point advantage, but there are now seven games to go. And relax....
90+3 min It’s worth noting that Liverpool’s performance in the first half was poor, but they had the nous and personality to hang in there and get out of it only one goal down. But here come Caity again, De Bruyne driving at Fabinho and sliding Mahrez in! If he imparts laces to leather he probably scores, but Alisson comes out so far he tries a chip, from the edge, and is sails over! He’s missed another key chance at a key time!
Updated
90+2 min No he cannot, Laporte extending every muscle in his neck like an Emerald City-hammerhead to head clear, on the retreat, and Walker completes the job.
Updated
90+2 min De Bruyne clatters Fabinho, and Liverpool have a free-kick, 30 yards out, right of centre; can Alexander-Arnold pick out a man?
90 +1 min Shall I tell you a joke? On Saturday, these teams meet at Wembley to do it all over again! It’s funny because it’s true!
90 min There’ll be four added minutes.
90 min Mahrez punches a blistering sidefooter around the wall and onto the outside of the post!
89 min De Bruyne runs at Matip, gets him crossing his legs by veering one way then t’other ... so Van Dijk appears to help his mate, clattering his man and wearing the inevitable yellow. Free-kick City, 25 yards out and dead centre, Mahrez behind it...
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88 min A quick throw picks out Grealish, alone in the box, but he can’t find the killer ball he’s seeking. Still City maintain pressure, working it to Rodri on the far side, their right, but his cross misses everyone then Cancelo lamps over.
87 min For the first time, I think we can say this is likely to be a draw. The teams put so much into the first hour or so that they’ve not had much left for the closing stages, and the subs have disrupted flow rather than change things.
85 min Rodri pulls Thiago back but the ref lets play flow and De Bruyne steals possession so Thiago flies all the way through him. How he avoided a second yellow, I’ve not the foggiest.
85 min Klopp sends on Firmino for Mane, who’s had a really good second half. I’m a little surprised at that, for that reason.
84 min De Bruyne picks a pass for Cancelo, at the back post, but Mane tracks the runner really well and the ball goes behind.
83 min Guardiola sends on Grealish for Jesus, while De Bruyne measures up a free-kick 30 yards out, right of centre.
82 min Big Bernardo Bites Yer Legs Silva wins the ball off Mane, so Fabinho slides in and applies studs to ankle. He’s booked, but the ref shows him a red and I doubt it gets overturned.
80 min Rodri slings a delicious ball out to Mahrez who kills it then applies la pausa, waiting for De Bruyne to barrel down his outside. As it goes, the shooting lane opens just as his mate arrives, so he plays him in anyway and the cut-back is straight at Van Dijk.
79 min Diaz robs Stones – surely he can find something better to steal – but there’s no one there to help him and City quickly see the danger away.
78 min I thought Liverpool might’ve made that change at half-time, but them making it now tells us they want to win this. And they probably need to, given they’re a point behind with a tougher run-in.
77 min Liverpool win a corner down the right, but it’s headed clear and Walker brings the ball away. He can’t, though, find Mahrez, and when his pass goes into touch Klopp sends on Keita for Henderson.
76 min Luis Diaz looks like one of those lads who looks like he’d struggle to defend a strong blast of aircon, but is in fact made out of steel wire wrapped in fibreglass.
75 min Change for City, Mahrez replacing Sterling. I reckon that’ll see Foden move inside, which makes sense because he’s barely been in the game. But as I type that, we learn that it’s Jesus at centre-forward now, which is surprising as he’s had so much joy out wide.
Updated
74 min Salah is bang into this, squaring up Cancelo ... but Cancelo stands his ground, bundles through him, and sashays out of defence like the ridiculous individual he is so Henderson brings him down.
73 min Now it’s City’s turn, De Bruyne spreading for Jesus and charging towards the box - along with various others. Jesus has options, but he’s feeling himself today so razzes a waste of shot into the side-netting.
71 min Mane finds Salah with a lovely ball - they’ve both been so much better this half – and he nicks a yard inside to unfurl a curler that flicks Laporte’s hips and goes behind. Liverpool want a penalty but nothing doing.
70 min Change for Liverpool, Jota replaced by Diaz.
69 min “This is like a Quentin Tarantino movie,” says Venkat Iyer. “Slow build up where both sides are waiting at the cusp of a crossbow and then bang bang bang.”
City certainly want that kind of game, but Liverpool are quite keen to get the game stretched, I think.
68 min De Bruyne picks up a loose pass and suddenly City have a counter, Sterling alongside and lots of empty pitch to play into. But they don’t work it well, the pass when it comes setting his man one-on-one with Van Dijk, and we know how that go.
66 min City are back in the ascendancy, as we see Luis Diaz preparing to come – for Jota, Sky reckon.
65 min There can’t be many players who’ve had bigger goals disallowed than Sterling just there and in the Champions League quarter against Spurs. Ouch.
GOAL DISALLOWED! Manchester City 3-2 Liverpool
Sterling went just too early, but that space in behind is still there.
Updated
GOAL! Manchester City 3-2 Liverpool (Sterling 63)
Liverpool allow an easy ball into midfield, De Bruyne pulls off Van Dijk and slides Sterling in – that’s much too easy! But he does really well to draw the keeper - it’s a pretty good likeness too – and slides under Alisson!
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62 min Thiago is booked for another foul, on whom I did not see, and he’s very lucky to stay on – though I guess he might not’ve done it had he got the card he deserved for the first tackle.
61 min City are still clearing their heads, looking to rest in possession and get the game played at their pace, slow, slow supersonic. And as I type that, a ball picks out Jesus on the right by-line, he skips off it inside Robertson, and though he has De Bruyne and Sterling imploring him to tee them up, he’s made an angle to swivel into a shot, so he does ... and Van Dijk blocks.
60 min Foden has time to pick out a cross and he finds a decent one, but there’s no one attacking it and Van Dijk quickly gets rid.
59 min As well as praising whatever Klopp said to his players at half-time – my guess is sentiments were expressed –we should also praise him for doing nothing. He could easily have made a couple of changes, given how badly his players were playing and the options available to him. But he trusted them to sort it out, and they have.
57 min We said during the first half that City didn’t make the most of their ascendancy, but they’re still capable of scoring at any moment. Anyhow, Jesus intercepts a stray pass from Alexander-Arnold and he’s got De Bruyne free if he slides one in behind! But he doesn’t see him, Thiago duly ploughs through him, but isn’t booked.
Updated
56 min City are also finding it harder to stop Liverpool passing it out – they must’ve put a lot of energy into the first half.
55 min One thing City could do with is getting Foden on the ball. I wonder if we might see him move inside at some point, especially if Liverpool continue bossing midfield.
54 min City have their first serious possession of the second half, and I’m sure they’ll be wanting to slow things down a bit. Previously, they forced Liverpool to play their game, now it’s the other way around.
52 min It’s all Liverpool now, Mane winning a big header that allows Alexander-Arnold to find Salah. He’s got Jota attacking the space in behind, using the outside of his boot to arc a pass to meet his run, and Jota cleverly allows the ball across him, taking out the defender on his near side before using the outside of his own foot to prod a shot that forces ederson to sprawl.
51 min So far this half, Liverpool are doing a much better job of stopping City from playing out, and that Klopp to a tee – protect your defence but putting the opponent’s defence under pressure.
50 min Salah chases his own flick and Jota takes over, but his low cross runs away from Mane, who barely existed in the first half but is right with us now.
49 min This hasn’t been the highest-quality game we’ve seen between these two sides - the defending has not been good – but it’s been one of the most exciting. And we’ve still not a clue how it’s going to shake out.
48 min Here come Liverpool again, Robertson getting forward for perhaps the first time in the match and arcing a cross that’s only just too strong for Salah.
GOAL! Manchester City 2-2 Liverpool (Mane 46)
Liverpool have been told about themselves! Salah picks the ball up down the right and slides a tremendous ball that bisects two defenders to hit the stride of Mane as Walker sleeps. He opens his body and punishes a riser high past Ederson, and that took 47 seconds!
Updated
46 min The funny thing about these teams is that each has incorporated aspects of the other. City are looking to get it forward more quickly than before, trying diags in behind full-backs, whereas Liverpool have bought Thiago. So far, it’s working better for the former, but excuse me whole I interrupt myself!
46 min We go again.
Klopp was out before his players, so he must’ve largely left them to their own devices. Here they come now, and City follow them.
Luis Diaz and Firmino are warming up and I’d expect to see the former soon – though I wonder if the latter might help them get out, holding the ball up so they can get men forward.
“You are right about Thiago,” says Rick Harris, “and I wonder if Klopp will go to a three and bring Gomez on and push the full backs up as Robertson is being given a torrid time too. Great game. Got to be more goals in this!”
I’d be surprised if we saw a change of formation, but not surprised to see a change of configuration.
Updated
“You picked on Henderson not having a great game,” says Yash Gupta. “He didn’t have a good one last time these two faced. Unnecessarily pushing forward and conceding a hell of a lot of space for Foden, Cancelo to operate in. I think the best decision for Pep has been no Ruben Dias. It was a forced one. But Stones on the right works better with Laporte than Dias, and Sadio Mane found that. Though other Diaz is on the bench.”
I just don’t think Henderson has the gas he once did, and he also plays alongside Thiago, not Wijnaldum. Against most sides that doesn’t matter, but City are good enough to make that difference count.
Half-time email: “How was Mane not offside for the equaliser?” wonders Norrie Hernon. “He’s yards off, but it’s not called because it’s headed away – which leads to the equaliser. If the defender risks leaving it, then it goes to Mane and he’s flagged - but the defender has to take the risk, which doesn’t seem fair. It’s a gaping hole in that law. Surprised the Sunaks haven’t taken advantage….”
Ha! Agree with this though – I’d be happy for offside to mean offside, precisely for that reason.How can defenders defend otherwise?
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Half-time: Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool
That was an entertaining a half as you’ll see this season. Both sides are good enough to exploit the other’s defensive weaknesses – weaknesses they’re able to hide from almost every other team in the world – but City’s passing game is working much better for now. The second 45 should be a jazzer.
45+1 min I mentioned Thiago being a problem for Liverpool, but Mané has also been almost anonymous. I’d not be surprised to see Luis Diaz replace him, if not at half-time, shortly afterwards.
45 min There’ll be two added minutes.
45 min You can’t play a high line without pressure on the ball, and Liverpool aren’t getting about the pitch quickly enough to stop City from attacking the space. Anyhow, they have free-kick on the left and it picks out Laporte! But his stretch hits the post and the bounce falls unkindly, after which they flag goes up for offside.
43 min Foden, who’s been quiet, turns up down the left and whips in a nasty low cross, but before it can reach Sterling, Robertson slides in. He doesn’t get the ball, but him being there prevents yerman from seeing the flight – though if he’d gambled, he might’ve got to it.
Updated
42 min However, they’ve been better than a goal better and it’s fair to assume that Liverpool will improve after half-time, meaning it’s unlikely that this one-goal lead will be enough. They may win by one, but I doubt it’ll be 2-1.
41 min So far, on the other hand, Guardiola has got his tactics absolutely bang-on. His defensive midfielders are doing an OK shielding job, and his attackers are picking holes in Liverpool’s defence at will.
40 min Bernardo trips Robertson and is booked.
39 min I said just before that Thiago is barely taking part, but what’s also significant is that Henderson isn’t what he was. When this side was at its best, Liverpool would trample their opponents into the turf, but they’ve not quite got that physicality in them these days.
Updated
GOAL! Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool (Jesus 37)
City have earnt that! The corner is headed clear, but only as far as Cancelo, who shifts his weight inside to open up the pitch and drills a gorgeous, flat diag that catches Liverpool stepping up as Jesus sneaks in behind. He might snatch at the chance, but instead leaps, allows the ball to hit the inside of his foot, and that’s a much harder finish than it looked.
Updated
36 min City look poised to score again, Rodri picking up Robertson’s weak clearing header and knocking off for De Bruyne, who squares into a decent area. He knows there’s no one there, but he knows the defenders can’t be sure of that, and sure enough, it yields a corner.
35 min Meantime, here come City again, Laporte offered time to pick out Cancelo down the left as Alexander-Arnold dreams of tangerine trees and marmalade skies. He nips inside and wellies a shot, but it’s deflects into the near-post side-netting, then the corner comes to nowt.
33 min Klopp will fancy his side to score again, but might be alarmed at their lack of midfield control. Though he was involved in the goal, the game is largely passing Thiago by, because at this level, he’s maybe a player for City’s style, not Liverpool’s – though I know its evolved since he replaced Wijnaldum.
32 min Rodri mugs Van Dijk and swings a cross towards the far side, but Alexander-Arnold does really well to intercept, sliding in to poke home.
29 min Stones his a lovely long pass out to Cancelo who tiptoes in off the left, pulls inside, then feeds a square pass into De Bruyne ... who swivels into an instashot that flashes past the near post. The defending hasn’t been great, but this is a game.
29 min The free-kick is quickly cleared and Liverpool have a counter, Ederson off his line and Alexander-Arnolld, fed by Salah, taking aim from halfway. But he slips as he shoots, the ball dribbling back to the keeper; that we see that as a missed opportunity tells us how stupidly good he is.
28 min We thought City would target the space behind Alexander-Arnold, but it’s Robertson they’re victimising, sticking diags at him and he’s struggling to cope. De Bruyne nips the ball around him into space, wears the inevitable bodycheck, and the defender is booked.
27 min “As someone who learnt to play football in defence in the 80’s and early 90s,” says Matt Dony, “can I just say (*clears throat*) ‘GET RID!!’”
You’re so unsophisticated. Shame on you. Winnnnnnnerrrrrssssss!
25 min City win a free-kick out on the right and De Bruyne swerves a beauty towards the back post where Rodri awaits! No one’s anywhere near him, but he can’t quite crane his muscles enough to divert his header across the face to meet the path of the two men running in.
23 min But as I type that it’s City getting careless at the back, someone – Walker I think – sending a backpass to Ederson, almost on the goalline. He allows it an extra roll to make an angle to pass out, slips, and suddenly he’s under the bar with Jota on top of him! So he calmly passes out to Cancelo, while everyone else swallows their insides.
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23 min City are showing that, if you’re quick enough and clever enough, you can worry Liverpool’s defenders as they try to play out. They’ve already won the ball like that three or four times today.
21 min De Bruyne catches Van Dijk in possession, and though a succession of challenges and blocks stop City from working a clear shooting lane, they end up with a corner when Sterling’s shot is deflected behind. Alisson catches the corner, but when he hurls it out, City immediately win the ball back, Foden’s cut-back behind both Jesus and De Bruyne.
19 min City are back knocking it about and another ball in behind Robertson,an, er, diag, from Cancelo to Jesus, forces Van Dijk to stick the eventuating cross behind. The corner comes to nowt.
17 min Diogo Jota, though – it’s remarkable how good he’s turned out to be, and how almost every player Klopp and Michael Edwards buy slots in just like that. I’m not sure there’s ever been a run of purchases so good – roughly, 50% of transfers working out is respectable.
16 min Walker picks out Sterling with a coax over the top down the right; he lays back to Jesus, who sweeps a shot straight at Alisson.
14 min Phew! Football is often like life, but this game is fulfilling all of its promises.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-1 Liverpool (Jota 13)
Thiago is picking passes now, a big switch defeating the press. A ball over the top for Mane doesn’t come off – as it goes, Mane is offside – but the flag stays down and Robertson sweeps a cross towards the back post, where Alexander-Arnild’s velvet touch sets Jota, who sweeps the equaliser into the far corner. He knows what to do.
Updated
13 min City are liverpooling Liverpool here, but the visitors are inching into this.
11 min Liverpool enjoy their first little spell, Alexander-Arnold, Henderson and Salah working a triangle down the right. But City are back into shape quickly, and Cancelo quickly pounces at the first pass that gives him a sniff.
10 min Another ball in behind, this time down the left, turns Van Dijk, and though he finds another gear when he needs one, Sterling gets really close having given him a serious start. That’s what doing a cruciate at 29 does to you, I’m afraid.
9 min A ball into space – Jesus is causing so much trouble - and he gets in between Van Dijk and Alisson, falling when sandwiched. He wants a penalty, but the ref is having no such thing.
Updated
8 min Liverpool haven’t got going yet. They had so many chances to see that attack away, having just been warned, and didn’t. City are back on the ball too, knocking it about with conviction.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Liverpool (De Bruyne 6)
It should’ve been 1-0 a minute ago and it is now! The box ringfenced, City recycle possession, De Bruyne taking the ball from a quick free-kick, easing past Fabinho, and lashing a left-footer that flicks off Matip and zooms into the far side-netting!
Updated
5 min Here come City, De Bruyne sliding Jesus away down the right and his low cross is perfect for Sterling! But no prolific scorer has even been a worse finisher, and he guides a sidefooter into Alisson’s midriff! Alisson, by the way, has an amazing knack for making that happen, the best since Iker Casillas.
3 min “Both managers have gone for their strongest teams,” says Rick Harris, “so either they will cancel each other out or we will get an absolute thriller we will talk about for years to come. Really surprised that Anthony Taylor has been given the game though given his connections to City. Just hope he keeps his red card in his pocket.”
I really, really wouldn’t worry about biased officials. The standard of reffing isn’t great, but it’s not bent, and even if mistakes are made, the players have plenty of time to remedy the situation.
3 min Van Dijk introduces Jesus to the grass, but high up the pitch, so City take a short free-kick and get the ball moving.
1 min City are, reckons Gary Neville, playing more or less a 4-2-1-3, with Bernardo deep alongside Rodri. I doubt it stays like that, but I can see why Guardiola would start circumspect against a team who’ve previously blown his away early.
1 min To paraphrase the late, great, Ron Pickering, away we go!
The players take the knee. All black lives matter.
It does indeed look like Foden is on the left against Alexander-Arnold. Sterling will play through the middle, Jesus on the right.
Righto, here we go!
“Am sure the other Liverpool fane will agree,” returns Ian Copestake, “but Klopp was an absolute certainty to be a success for us. He was a perfect fit and it was so clear to see. Just couldn’t believe we got him! The whole mirroring of Dortmund overhauling Bayern in that league meant it was all the motivation Klopp needed. I fear an early sending off in the game though! Is this conspiracy theory rhetoric getting in me noddle?”
I agree – he’s a brilliant rabble-rouser and just the right kind of cheesy. Guardiola is amazing at extracting the most from the best, but he’s always had the best – Klopp hasn’t.
“Forget Trent!” orders WMZ. “Joel Matip is the weakest link, with his strolls about in midfield and yonder.”
He’s one of those whose top level is a good level, but could do with raising his bottom and modal one. I also wonder if he’s already been replaced – I’d not be surprised if, by this time next season, Ibrahima Konaté was first choice.
“Surely Liverpool have matured from their thrash phase?” reckons Tony Barr. “Looking at that team it’s as much about skill, swagger and composure as it is energy and aggression. Perhaps Wagnerian? The composer rather than Klopp’s mate. Tried and failed to work a ring reference….”
I’m not sure about that. Which isn’t to say that don’t play with skill and swagger, not at all, but without the aggression it wouldn’t be enough.
Back to what we were saying before, I think the main reason Guardiola has only won the Champions League with the best player ever (maybe) and the best midfield ever (definitely) is that defence situation. You can win league titles playing his way, but in Europe, you usually come up against a solid side with attackers good enough to trouble you – and if you prefer automatons to lunatics, those matches become even harder.
Guardiola thinks this is a very important game, but no one will win the title today. He’s gone for Jesus because of his pace, intensity and experience. What does he think will decide today? “I will love to know it.”
Klopp is “all prepared, all set, and that’s it”. He doesn’t think about playing the occasion, and apart from the quality of the opponent, the rest is the same as always. He’ll be happy if his team can create a lot, and the winner will be the team that takes their chances, but it doesn’t help if he tells his team to make sure they do that.
As for City, my guess is Klopp has gone for Jota despite Firmino’s record against them is that he wants three mobile strikers, because Stones and Laporte lack a bit of pace. All Guardiola’s teams have been suspect at the back, defenders chosen more for the creativity than their stickability, and Liverpool are one of few teams good enough to exploit that. So I’d expect lots of flitting about “in and around” the centre-backs, with the full-backs kept occupied by their opposite numbers.
Thinking again about City’s potential formation, I wonder if Guardiola will want Foden targeting the area behind “Trent”. He’s a fantastic player, obviously, and what he contributes in attack is well worth the space he leaves in behind – even against the better teams. But if you’re gameplanning to beat Liverpool, that’s an area you’d target, and even if you can’t get at it, if you can push him and Andy Robertson back, there’s not loads of creativity in midfield.
Quiz time: on Sky, Micah Richards just said he’d sign for a draw right now. Did Roy Keane agree or disagree with this attitude?
Tell you what, imagine being a Man United fan right now. Ahahahahahaha!
Tangentially, I should say that I totally underestimated Jürgen Klopp. It wasn’t that I didn’t know he was great when he arrived in England – I did . But I never thought he’d make title-winners out of this squad, and be sure that no other manager in world football would have done similar.
There’s a school of thought that these are the two best sides in the history of English football. I’m not sure about that – I think Guardiola’s first great City side, with Kompany, David Silva, Agüero and Sané were better than this one – so I asked that famous bastion of measured opinion, Twitter, and the results are these:
Which City team was better (and why if you fancy), the current one or the one with Kompany, Silva and Agüero? For what it's worth, I'd go the latter every time.
— Daniel Harris (@DanielHarris) April 8, 2022
Norwich have beaten Burnley 2-0; defeat for Liverpool today would make this the perfect weekend for Everton. Otherwise, Brentford have beaten West Ham 2-0 and Leicester have beaten Palace 2-1.
Email! “Dan. Dan? Dan!” says Ian Copestake. “I am also losing it, like Alan in that carpark. But I request that you censor all emails expressing hopes of a good game/or too much hype for one to happen. This is all about the three points and who if any get them. If at any point nice footer breaks out then fine but it’s all about the result, Clive.”
Hmmm. When I look back at the biggest games my team played against its rivals, the ones that stand out now are the ones that were intense, er, footballistically, not just those that were important. I guess for Liverpool, it might be more about the result, though, because they need to win this title more than City do.
As for Liverpool, their back five is as you’d expect, the choices Klopp had to make in midfield and attack. As expected, the clues were in who missed out in Lisbon; Henderson returns for Keita, with Jota replacing Diaz. I’m a little surprised at the latter – I thought it might be Mané not starting, because Jota and Diaz are playing so stupidly well. But it’s the latter kept in reserve – I don’t imagine he’s much fun to face when you’ve been charging about for an hour – and with Firmino also on the bench, Liverpool have not only numbers but variety.
If everyone knows a false nine is a false nine, is it actually a false nine?
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So back to those teams, Guardiola springs his usual surprise, inserting Gabriel Jesus. I’m not sure if he’ll play through the middle or out wide, but like most people, I expected Mahrez not him. I was surprised Jack Grealish didn’t start in midweek – Atlético seemed a perfect opponent for his touch-heavy lockpicking – but not at all surprised he’s sitting at the side today. Phil Foden, meanwhile, is in from the start and will be the man Liverpool most fear. Otherwise, Kyle Walker returns after European suspension, and Ilkay Gundogan misses out, Bernardo Silva moving back into midfield after a jaunt at false nine.
One more piece of housekeeping: Norwich currently lead Burnley 1-0; if it stays like that, I think Manchester United are relegated automatically. Follow along here, and be sure to check out Maxwel Cornet’s open-goal miss even if you’ve already seen it.
These blogs are handy for following sporting events, but they’re also handy for sharing important information, so here’s some.
1) This is a beautiful, devastating and important poem by one of Manchester’s finest. Read it, think about it, and check in on your mates – or ask them for a chat.
Three words, unheard ⚪ been trying to share this for a minute but never felt like the right time; coming up to an anniversary of a friend that did the unmentionable and I've been battling with unanswerable questions about what could have been done differently. pic.twitter.com/FejK2jhOqS
— David Scott (@arghkid) April 5, 2022
2) I’m lucky enough to already have a copy of this brilliant and important book. Order it now, and check the extract already on our site – I promise you, you won’t regret doing either.
“We’ve spoken so much about Black football fans – and beyond – there are so many out there who haven’t seen or read stories that resonate with them, and that they want to see catalogued and curated and this book is the first of its kind that does that.” pic.twitter.com/ecwaBZ6udT
— CARICOM (@CARICOMWEB) April 5, 2022
3) I don’t say this lightly, but this is THE GREATEST calling a player by their fore- and surname there’s ever been.
Kobbie Mainoo vs Sunderland U18s (30 minute cameo) #mufc #MUAcademy pic.twitter.com/nmaRQn15gc
— academyarena Utd (@academyarenaUTD) April 5, 2022
Teams are here!
Manchester City (a free jazz 2-8-0): Ederson; Walker, Stones, Laporte, Cancelo; Rodri, Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne; Sterling, Foden, Jesus. Subs: Steffen, Mahrez, Zinchenko, Fernandinho, McAtee, Lavia, Grealish, Gundogan, Ake.
Liverpool: (a thrash metal 4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Mane, Jota. Subs: Kelleher, Jones, Tsimikas, Konate, Gomez, Milner, Keita, Firmino, Diaz.
Bias ref: Anthony Taylor (Wythenshawe)
Updated
Preamble
Expletive! This being a family newspaper, the words running through our communal mind are not words I’m at liberty to publish here, and I suppose we can all express ourselves using the various alternatives our languages make available. But sometimes – OK, almost all the time – only four letters will do so, with intense feeling and emotion, expletive underworld.
But enough about Mike Baldwin’s knicker factory – now let’s talk football. When it comes to games like this, there’s a tension between hurling ourselves into the moment to make sure we live its every facet, and making sure we step back to savour its momentousness as part of history, each aspect as moving as the other.
To do the second one first, there’s a decent chance we’re about to enjoy one of the finest games of association football ever played in England. Two great sides hitting a concurrent peak doesn’t happen often – you can just about sustain a case for Wolves-Man United in the mid-50s, Man United-Leeds in the mid-to-late 60s and Liverpool- Forest in the late 70s. The only slam-dunks, though, came in the modern era, whose stratified resources gave Arsenal-Man United 96-05 and Chelsea-Man United 06-11, which is to say that Liverpool-Man City is special.
And it might only be getting started. Though Liverpool unexpectedly hammered City in the 2018 Champions League – in retrospect, when things got going – we only knew it was a rivalry when Riyad Mahrez’s volunteered to take a dying-seconds penalty at Anfield the following season. Had he scored, City would’ve won 1-0, going three points clear at the top of the table and looked certain champions even though it was only October. But he blazed over the bar, changing the face of English football in the process: full of confidence, Liverpool won 11 and drew one of their next 12, and while City prevailed in the end, this was now a ruckus of equals.
Since then, the two have dominated, and there’s no reason to think very much is going to change anytime soon – though as Andy Roddick noted when asked about his tussles with Roger Federer, a serious set-to needs both parties winning the big pots and Liverpool remain deficient in that department. The head-to-heads, though, almost guarantee excitement, the game played at Etihad in January 2019 one of the best ever seen in England and the October encounter at Anfield not behind the door either. Yes, there are reasons for that, but these two are the most consistent league sides ever to grace the green and pleasants; what they’re doing is sensational.
So what’s going to happen today? Well, if City hit their top level, chances are they win because theirs is, for mine at least, fractionally higher than Liverpool’s. That, though, is barely a quality point and more a style point: Pep Guardiola’s football might’ve evolved since his Barcelona days but it remains, without doubt, the hardest there has ever been to beat when played well – for proof, see Spain 2008-12. For that reason, should City get the big dubya, we can expect them to take the treasure too – at this point in the season, it’s hard to see them them slipping up against teams scrapping simply to get a touch of the ball.
But styles make fights, and Liverpool’s death metal football is as good an antidote to the possession carousel as exists, a brilliant team fired by focused aggression and rational entitlement; by their belief that they’re the apotheosis of it. Or in other, simpler words, they’re managed by Jürgen Klopp. Lots has been written about pressing triggers and inverted wingers, but his ability to take very good players and charisma them into sustained, deranged world-beaters is nothing short of epochal genius. He is the reason that his team come into this game on an absolutely rrrrridiculous buzz – even for them.
All of which is a long-winded way of saying that while our society frowns on such equivocation, no one – no one – has a clue what’s going to happen. It’s the irresistible force meets the irresistible force … and it’s live! Expletive expletive!
Kick-off: 4.3opm BST
