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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Stephen Killen

Rio Ferdinand makes Liverpool 'balls' admission but raises question after Man City win

Rio Ferdinand has described Liverpool as the only team to have the "balls to go toe-to-toe" with Manchester City but has raised questions whether they can back up Sunday's superb triumph.

Jurgen Klopp's side were outsiders for the visit of their rivals to Anfield with it widely being feared they would be the latest casualty in Erling Haaland's destructive run.

But Liverpool atoned for their recent struggles with an assured and resolute performance with Mohamed Salah's goal proving to be the difference. Although in the latter stages, the scoreline could've been healthier as Darwin Nunez had chances to add daylight between the two teams.

READ MORE: David Moyes gives strong defence of Jurgen Klopp after Liverpool manager's touchline anger

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Ferdinand was full of praise following the display, noting the performance from the Reds was one he had yet to see this season.

The ex-Manchester United and England defender told Vibe with Five podcast : "I've watched Liverpool about three or four times live this year and that was a Liverpool I haven't seen. After watching them this many times this season, I was thinking has that gone? Has that Liverpool energy, rock and roll football, high octane football disappeared and left them forever?

"I wasn't sure of the answer and we went into this game, I didn't give them much hope - like everybody else - but they produced a performance. The big question is, is this performance sustainable? Will we now see a run? Will we now see a that performance week in, week out? Or was it just, 'we can get up for that game, we can't keep that going because we haven't got that in us?'

"That's the big question now with this Liverpool team. Listen, forget Liverpool or City, that was a high, high level game, that was back to last season's levels of football between them where you're going, 'woah', two teams tactically at their best, physically at their best and two teams that weren't playing with a handbrake.

"Liverpool are the only team capable or have the balls to go toe-to-toe with this City team in any game and say 'we can roll our sleeves up, match them all over the park'."

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