The game: 2-2
Certainly, Manchester City are keeping their fate between their feet. Because with this draw, the leader in the Premier League still has one point ahead of Liverpool. But while the two teams still have seven games to play and even if the Citizens don’t have big players on the menu (Brighton, Wolverhampton, Watford, Leeds, Newcastle, West Ham and Aston Villa), the tension naturally remains. The Reds therefore still have every chance to become champions, despite an undoubtedly more difficult program (Manchester United, Aston Villa, Everton, Newcastle, Tottenham, Southampton, Wolverhampton).
More inspired, the Citizens had clearly dominated the first period. They certainly conceded a goal on the Reds’ lone opportunity, which was converted by Jota on the fly, with the right foot, on a withdrawal from Alexander-Arnold (13th). But otherwise they were not bothered by anything and very quietly developed their usual slick game. Logically, they scored two goals, thanks to De Bruyne with a shot deflected from the left by Matip (5th) then Gabriel Jesus (from the right), perfectly served by Cancelo (37th). And they could have scored more, but Sterling ran into Alisson (5th), while De Bruyne (30th) and Cancelo (35th) grazed the frame.
But in the second half, LFC increased their pace and commitment. And once the recovery, perfectly launched by Salah, Mané calmed down with a chiseled recovery from the right (46th). On a new caviar from Salah, Jota ran into Ederson (52nd). The Egyptian then saw his shot from the left deflected in extremis by Laporte (71st). On the City side, in addition to a logically disallowing goal to Sterling thanks to the VAR (64th), Gabriel Jesus was at least threatening twice (61st, 72nd), as was Mahrez from a free kick (90th). But the match was more close and choppy then. And the two giants neutralized each other.
The player: Alexander-Arnold in every move, good and bad
The England international (23 years, 16 caps, 1 goal) caricatured the reality, especially in the first period, that modern wing defenders are just as strong offensively as they are feverish defensively. Caught too many times behind his back and lax in duels, he let Gabriel Jesus go outright and stopped dead in City’s second goal (37th). But the right-back has cemented his place as Premier League assistant leader this season, adding a twelfth offer to his collection (for Jota, 13th). Then he found himself on the penultimate pass on his team’s second goal (scored by Mané, 46th).
18
On the national stage, Liverpool, who won the English League Cup and are playing the Cup semi-final (in…Manchester City, April 16), are up to a run of 18 defeats (11 of them in the Premier League). League).
