Your morning Liverpool headlines for Friday, December 23.
National media agree on Darwin Nunez after Liverpool lose to Man City in Carabao Cup
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.
READ MORE: Pep Guardiola reveals what it's 'impossible' for Man City to do against Liverpool
PAUL GORST MATCH VERDICT: Pep Guardiola cannot deny truth after City bluff punctures Liverpool optimism
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.
Read the full story, here.
Pep Guardiola cannot deny truth after Man City bluff punctures Liverpool optimism
onventional 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.
Read the full story, here.
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