This wasn’t the refresh Jurgen Klopp had wanted. But that Liverpool trudged from the Etihad pitch lamenting a missed opportunity spoke volumes.
While relinquishing their grip on hard-earned silverware can never be regarded a positive, those wishing to use this exit from the Carabao Cup as a stick with which to once again beat the Reds would be somewhat missing the point.
Indeed, Klopp and his coaching staff can extract sufficient encouragement from a performance that, while by no means outstanding, ensured Manchester City were made to scrap for their fourth round victory.
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Certainly, there could be no doubting the character and mentality of Liverpool which at times was questioned during the difficult opening few months to their campaign. Lacking, though, was the touch of quality at both ends of the pitch that eventually took the game away from the Reds having twice fought back from going behind.
Matters may have been different had Darwin Nunez despatched at least one of the three presentable opportunities his pace had provided, each time dragging his shot wide of the far post after being released by decent passes.
After almost six weeks without a game due to the World Cup, there was a sense of the unknown from two experimental line-ups. But, as is usually the case when these teams meet, it didn’t disappoint, although it was clear from his strong selection that Pep Guardiola simply wouldn’t entertain another loss to Liverpool with City having gone five meetings without a win, losing the last three, two this season.
Proof of this came in the identity of the match-winner, Nathan Ake, who headed home shortly before the hour while his Holland centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk was at home having been given an extended rest.
Had Van Dijk been present in the Liverpool backline, there’s every chance Erling Haaland wouldn’t have had the space in which to fire City’s opener, nor Ake the freedom at the far post to net the decider. The merit of Klopp’s decision to view the bigger picture will only emerge in the coming months.
And if Liverpool’s win over City in the Community Shield was far from indicative of what was to come, Klopp will hope this avoidable exit proves a similarly iffy barometer.
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