Liverpool's defence of the Carabao Cup came to an end after they were beaten by Manchester City at the Etihad.
Pep Guardiola’s side led on three separate occasions and sealed a place in the last-eight with a 3-2 victory on Thursday night. This was the first time both sides had played a competitive game since the middle of November.
Erling Haaland fired the hosts ahead before Fabio Carvalho restored parity with a smart finish 10 minutes after the forward’s opener. But Riyad Mahrez restored City’s lead less than a minute into the second-half.
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However, City’s lead only lasted two minutes as Mohamed Salah quickly responded to draw the Reds level again. But Guardiola’s side secured their place in the quarter-finals when Nathan Ake headed in Kevin de Bruyne's inviting cross at the far post. And below is a look at how the national media, and the ECHO’s Paul Gorst, reported on the game.
'These two don’t do dull'
Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail wrote: “At the end, Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp embraced like two heavyweights who had punched each other to a standstill. Again.
“At least, Klopp was still around at the final bell this time, having been sent off when Liverpool beat Manchester City in a fiery clash at Anfield in October. No-one threw anything at Guardiola on Thursday night either, which was a bonus.
“Sixty-seven days had passed since that tumultuous Sunday on Merseyside and here we were again: City and Liverpool going toe to toe in another cracking game. These two don’t do dull.”
Before he added: “It wasn’t Nunez’s night, and he wasted the best chance to draw level again when he dragged another shot wide of the far post. So City go through and Liverpool go out, but the rivalry lives on.”
'More miss than hit last night'
Paul Joyce of The Times wrote: “A contest that ebbed and flowed throughout, as battles between these rivals tend to, ended with Guardiola able to reel off far more positives than his Liverpool counterpart, Jürgen Klopp.
“Chiefly, there was the poise and prowess of De Bruyne, who does not appear to be suffering a hangover from Belgium’s underwhelming performance at the World Cup, but also the rich promise of the homegrown full back Rico Lewis.
“A first success over Liverpool in six attempts should present the precocious 18-year-old with more opportunities. He jumped from right back to swell the numbers in midfield as if he had played a role normally associated with Kyle Walker or João Cancelo all his life. An away trip to Southampton in January now beckons.”
Before he added: “The Uruguay striker was, at times, more miss than hit last night, but he did well to tee up Mohamed Salah for a tap-in, with the Egypt striker’s movement having given Nathan Aké the slip. It was Salah’s 15th goal of the campaign, though Aké would go on to enjoy the last laugh.
“Liverpool’s trip to Dubai for warm-weather training during the hiatus for the World Cup focused on reacquainting Klopp’s players with the secrets of their success — for example, the efficiency of their pressing and counter-pressing — after their infuriatingly inconsistent start to the season.
“The return of such tenets will help, but it is about personnel as well as principles and the reappearance of Virgil van Dijk at Aston Villa on Boxing Day will improve a defence that folded again just before the hour.”
'A feast of end-to-end play'
Jamie Jackson of the Guardian wrote: “After the appeal for calm caused by the ill-tempered history of this fixture, Manchester City and Liverpool produced a festive treat that hurtled along at 100mph and contained zero hint of niggle until the 77th minute.
“At that point, Fabinho, on as a substitute, scissor-tackled Rodri, who took issue, and suddenly there was a melee featuring a shoving Jordan Henderson and Ilkay Gündogan flying into the fray. The upshot was bookings for the first two, and this proving the tie’s rarest of flash points.
“Instead, it was a feast of end-to-end play in which the defences went awol and neither team enjoyed control, though Pep Guardiola can point to City’s 57% possession overall, and how they emerged as victors from an invigorating tussle.”
'Jurgen Klopp will not lose too much sleep'
Paul Gorst of the Liverpool ECHO wrote: “Conventional wisdom dictates there are two ways to play the League Cup: You either win it or bow out with grace as early as possible.
“Liverpool can at least say they achieved the latter here as a forty-day run without a competitive fixture ended with a hard-fought, but ultimately unsuccessful 3-2 loss at the Etihad.
“In the cold light of day, Jurgen Klopp will not lose too much sleep. Manchester City's eye-watering strength in depth has allowed them to dominate this competition in its various guises in recent years, having won it as many as six times since 2014. Now into the quarter-finals, few will be betting against that becoming seven next year.
“But what will rankle for the Liverpool boss is how the optimism built from a positive near-fortnight in Dubai was instantly punctured at the home of the team they perhaps dislike more than any other right now in Pep Guardiola's City.”
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