Liverpool brilliantly executed a considered game plan to earn a 1-0 victory at home to Manchester City on Sunday.
After an incredibly difficult start to their Premier League season, the pressure was on the Reds to avoid falling as far as 15 points behind their visitors, who had been rampant until arriving to Anfield and could’ve established such a mammoth gap with a win.
Deploying a more conservative approach, Liverpool did well to nullify City in the first half and countered effectively. City looked to pull ahead after half-time, but when their goal was ruled out by VAR, the hosts rallied and a moment of magic from Mohamed Salah was enough to clinch three vital points.
Neither side were willing too start at too high a tempo and leave themselves vulnerable to conceding an early goal. And while Liverpool were the hosts, they were happy to sit back in a more compact shape and concede possession, in an attempt to get in behind the visitors.
Liverpool’s press triggers were unclear at first, but as the half grew on, they grew in confidence with City not moving the ball quickly or efficiently enough through the lines and managed to catch them out more frequently. Diogo Jota worked from back to front to bring his side into the game and had a brilliant chance to head Liverpool into the lead after 21 minutes, but his effort was too tame.
Considering the differing trajectory of the two sides heading into the fixture, more was expected of City’s performance, which lacked speed and urgency in their passing. Despite Erling Haaland coming close on a few occasions as the half opened up, Alisson was never significantly tested and Liverpool kept their visitors at arms length with relative ease, heading into half-time.
City came out with more belief in the second half and tried to up the ante, but still lacked their usual punch and ability to completely swallow their opponents. After dominating possession, it was Liverpool who were a whisker away from taking the lead when Mohamed Salah pounced on a through ball from Roberto Firmino and forced a fine stop out of Ederson after 50 minutes.
Mere moments after almost falling behind, City had the ball in the back of the net when Phil Foden bundled in a rebound after Alisson failed to smother a shot from Haaland, only for the goal to be chalked off due to the Norwegian’s foul on Fabinho at the start of the move.
The lengthy VAR check opened up the game tremendously and saw Liverpool catch City’s defence sleeping. Salah floated a…
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