Thank you very much for joining me. What a rollercoaster it’s been.
Here is David Hytner’s report.
Klopp goes on to praise every single Liverpool player in great deal – and rightly so. He is really happy with everything.
Jurgen Klopp: “The highest quality – it was a really good game. It was our best performance against City, we have never dominated against them so much. We were very brave. After the first 10 minutes I am really pleased. What a game, what an afternoon, what an atmosphere.
“I think it is worth talking about [the last minute penalty].
“Today we showed we are ready to fight. I love that the most. There is a long way to go for all of us.”
Klopp then asks Patrick Davison if a penalty should have been given. “Anywhere else on the pitch would be a foul and a booking,” Klopp says. “That is a penalty for all football people.”
19 - Liverpool's 19 shots were their most in a Premier League game against Manchester City since February 2013 (22). 12 of those shots came in the second half, which was the most Man City have faced after half time in a league game since May 2021 (12 v Brighton). Storm. pic.twitter.com/E5KiBZGdZE
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 10, 2024
John Stones: “We created quite a lot of chances early on and could have taken a few more and been two or three up. We know what we are coming into coming here. We feel a bit deflated in the dressing room. We came here to win but we got a point. We gave everything out there. It is a bit raw like now.
“They are a top side and we know what quality they have. We’ve had some really good games against them over the years. I think the second half was more them than us and it balanced out. We will take a point.
“Carlos Vicens [set-piece coach] worked hard in training like every week. We worked on this yesterday and it paid off.”
Virgil van Dijk: “Obviously were much better in the second half than the first 15, 20 minutes of the first half. I think how we reacted is good. We had very chances but we couldn’t get the winner. It was bittersweet – based on the second half we should have won it.”
“City has been very successful with the titles they’ve won. Every game we have played against each other has been very intense. Every has been so difficult, they have so much quality all over the pitch. We had chances to win the game but to come away with a point is not a bad situation. We need to just enjoy the ride.
On Quansah: “He was outstanding, the sky is the limit. He needs to stay humble because there will be a lot of bumps in the road.
Jarrell Quansah: “I didn’t have the perfect game but I am striving to be good. We didn’t win the game, we didn’t keep a cleansheet. We need to be striving for those standards.”
“I think the referee misjudged the high tackle on Mac Allister,” says Colum Fordham. “Surely it was a penalty? Maybe it would have been unfair on City who contributed to a high quality, high-tension match but Liverpool’s ceaseless press just about deserved a victory.
”I’m going to get a cup of tea. Laced with brandy.”
We will discuss it for a long time. Doku just got to the ball first and that is key but it seemed a dangerous thing to do.
“Who needs the Oscars after drama like that?” asks Justin Kavanagh. “If you didn’t enjoy that, check your wrist for a pulse.”
Liverpool were excellent. Endo and Mac Allister were key in midfield for them. They will rue Diaz’s profligacy but he also had a cracking game.
I hope there is wine in the fridge.
Carragher just loves how ruddy brilliant that match was. I am very tired after it.
City lost control after giving away a penalty in the opening stages of the second half and they never got it back. City won the first half, Liverpool the second and a draw is fair.
Klopp is having a word with the referee.
Drama at the end after drama throughout. Klopp and Guardiola embrace at the whistle, they know what they mean to one another. Incredible.
Full time: Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City
And breathe.
90+9 mins: Doku gets the ball but then catches Mac Allister in the chest. VAR says no. OOOOOF!
Updated
90+8 mins: Liverpool have a corner on the right. Robertson swings it in … it bounces around in the box and Doku tries to clear with a high boot, leaving a Liverpool player on the deck.
90+7 mins: Gakpo tries to lay the ball into the path of Salah who goes down under pressure from Ake in the box. Oliver waves it away and it does not look like a penalty. VAR agrees.
90+6 mins: Time for one last big chance?
90+5 mins: Doku gets beyond Gomez with a burst of speed but his cross is blocked and cleared.
Updated
90+4 mins: The ball is in the back of the net but the flag means that play is brought back. City stop playing because Salah is so far off.
90+3 mins: Liverpool are dictating events at Anfield and City are holding on. Foden takes City up the pitch to relieve the pressure and wins a throw, which Walker takes an age with.
90+2 mins: Robertson whips in the corner but it is greeted by a City head.
90+1 mins: City’s players are looking pretty static and tired. They might not appreciate a lengthy injury time.
Elliott gets the ball on the right and pings in a cross but Stones meets the ball with his head to turn behind.
90 mins: EIGHT MINUTES ADDED ON!
89 mins: Doku drives at Gomez and then pings a shot towards the far corner but it pings back off the inside of the post and into Kelleher’s arms.
Down the other end … Liverpool are two-on-two and Salah looks to find Gakpo in the middle but his cross is straight at Ortega.
88 mins: Kovacic and Endo smash into a 50:50. Neither team is taking these final few minutes lightly.
87 mins: City are taking their time but they know they have the quality to create something from nothing even if they have been second best in this half.
86 mins: Luis Diaz is giving everything. He’s had a great half even though he has missed a few chances. Will he get another?
I think City would settle for the point at this stage.
Updated
84 mins: Gomez collects the ball between the lines and sends a pass through the defence but Diaz is forces to take it out wide and can’t do much with it.
Liverpool just keep coming at City. The ball reaches Mac Allister in the box and he fires over but claims Rodri is pulling him back.
Walker needs treatment after blocking a shot. This game is relentless.
82 mins: The question is who will hold their nerve in the final 10 minutes?
Foden lifts a pass out to Doku in space; the Belgian gets around the back but his cross is headed clear by Robertson and Liverpool break. Diaz gets the ball and beats Rodri and Walker repeatedly but his efforts only earn a corner. Robertson takes ... and Van Dijk heads wide.
80 mins: Quansah steps out of defence and takes aim from 20 yards. The shot is bobbling towards Ortega who pushes the ball well clear.
Sky show us how long the De Bruyne chat with Guardiola went on. It seems to end amicably.
78 mins: Ortega comes 35 yards out of his goal to head a long ball clear. He does not seem nervous.
“I’ve got to have a glass of wine, and it’s just past 1pm. Yikes,” says Joe Pearson.
We will all need one after this.
76 mins: City are enjoying some much-needed possession and every touch is being booed by the home fans.
The challenge on Salah was from Walker but the defender won the ball.
Gakpo on for Nunez.
74 mins: RUDDY HELL! Ake sends in a sumptuous cross for Foden to attack but Kelleher gets there first, only to see his punch bounce off the midfielder and onto the crossbar. It turns out the ball comes back off Foden’s arm so it wouldn’t count.
Salah is left in a heap after a foul and there is a VAR check for a red card but it is over quickly.
Updated
72 mins: Robertson whips in a stunning cross for Nunez to attack; the Uruguayan looks like he will tap home from six yards but Ortega makes himself big and blocks.
Peadar de Burca says: I’m so nervous, I’ve started making bread. The perfect result would be for Nunez to win it in the ninety-ninth minute with a Mark Hughes volley while I munch down on some blackcurrant jam on whole wheat. Fingers crossed.”
It’s an option …
Updated
70 mins: Alvarez and De Bruyne depart. The Belgian looks unhappy with being replaced and is happy to let Guardiola know his views. Doku and Kovacic on. It looks like Foden has moved centrally where he has been in superb form recently. Could this make the difference for City?
68 mins: Robertson sends in a wayward cross from deep on the left. It is nowhere near a Liverpool teammate but it almost drops into the top corner, although eventually goes over.
67 mins: What can City do to change the dynamic? I wonder if Kovacic for Alvarez is an option to put an extra man in midfield to try and regain control. As I write this, the Croatian is being prepared. I am smart. Doku is coming too.
66 mins: Liverpool enjoy a couple of corners in quick succession. The second concludes with Salah smashing a bouncing ball wide.
It is all Liverpool now and the fans are loving it. Mac Allister takes aim from 20 yards, I think it is going just wide, but Ortega takes no chances and pushes the ball behind.
“For a truly wonderful player, Diaz’s finishing this season has been really poor. It’s three chances in less than 10 minutes,” Dechlan Brennan says.
64 mins: Another great chance for Diaz. Nunez slips the ball to him in space in the box but his first touch is poor and Walker sprints back to knock behind for a corner.
62 mins: Needless to say, the arrival of Salah has provided a lift to the home fans. The Egyptian plays a stunning ball through the City defence and Diaz latches onto it, he makes his way into the box but his finish is poor, sending his shot wide.
60 mins: Calm. Breathe.
“If Ederson is out for any length of time I think City’s season may implode,” suggests Rick Harris. “However City are like a cornered Tiger now and you wouldn’t bet against them nicking it through some De Bruyne magic.”
We shall see…
Szoboszlai and Bradley depart, Salah and Robertson on.
59 mins: It is all happening Nunez plays the ball through for Diaz but his touch is poor and Ortega slides out to claim.
Silva does not go into the book for a foul.
Salah and Robertson being prepared.
It’s all happening.
58 mins: Quansah is dispossessed by Alvarez on the edge of his own box but Van Dijk clears his cross. The ball comes straight back as De Bruyne plays in Foden, who shoots from six yards but Kelleher does superbly well to come out and block.
Updated
57 mins: What a moment for the German goalkeeper. Both teams now have their second choice keepers in net.
Mac Allister is cleaned out by Silva but the Portuguese avoids a booking. City need to keep their heads.
Andy Flintoff emails: “Ederson is prone to that kind of tackle - there have been at least two other similar incidents this year where he’s gone feet first, missed the ball by miles and taken the attacker out (some might say deliberately).“
55 mins: Ortega gets his top off and gloves on. It really has been a dreadful start to the second half to the second half for City.
53 mins: Liverpool have enjoyed all the possession since equalising. Quansah lifts a nice ball over the top for Nunez but he is offside again.
Ederson drops to the deck and looks like his game is over.
51 mins: Anfield has erupted. Lord knows what Ake and Ederson were thinking. City have set their own downfall. They will need to recover their composure quickly.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City (Mac Allister, pen, 50)
A cracking pen. All level.
Updated
48 mins: There is a delay because Ederson needs treatment for a dead leg or similar.
47 mins: PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL! A poor backpass leaves Ederson in trouble and Nunez beats him to the ball before being taken out by the goalkeeper. What a couple of stupid moments for City. Ederson is booked.
Updated
46 mins: “I know it’s an old topic,” says Henry, “and I’m not one who holds any credence to the various conspiracy theories and paranoia related to the referees, but clear tactical foul to stop a counter attack, middle of the pitch, dangerous counter-attack....but no yellow card?! I’m pretty sure it was Walker, and it was the second tactical foul within a couple minutes of Liverpool starting to actually play. I think it’s purely refereeing incompetence, but christ it’s infuriating!
“Not expecting much from this match regardless, and obviously it doesn’t change the result...”
I suspect Oliver wanted to keep his card in his pockets in the early stages.
Second half
Here we go again! Strap in!
|It seems the villain for Liverpool fans may be the VAR team who didn’t even appear to look at Aké (possibly) obstructing Mac Allister,” says Seamus Enright. “Van Dijk has been winning the Clash of the Titans with Haaland. Endo has been the Wise Ronin pulling the strings in midfield. The scene has definitely been set for the return of the Egyptian Pharaoh.”
It wasn’t a foul on the goal.
Half-time reading.
Raynard Eiger offers: “I’ve never emailed an MBM reporter, but I just really felt this needed highlighting - Endo, despite being seen as a boring, safe transfer when Liverpool just needed someone has been so incredibly positive and influential in the first half of this massive match!
“Every time he gets the ball, you might expect him to play it safe, but he’s the one threading the ball through the lines and making things happen. It’s—dare-I-say-it—De Bruyne-like. Whatever it is, I think it’s genuinely impressive and, at least to me, quite surprising, and warrants calling out.”
Updated
Jeremy Boyce asks if Salah should be brought on at half time.
I suspect he will be able to do the final 20 minutes or so.
Half time: Liverpool 0-1 Manchester City
It has been an entertaining first half. City just about deserve the lead but it been great to watch and there will be plenty more enjoyment after the break. City’s smart corner routine is the difference at the moment.
45+1 mins: Walker does superb to win the ball near the halfway line and sprints up the line but then overhits his cross and De Bruyne cannot reach it at the back post.
45 mins: Two minutes added on.
44 mins: City are trying to slow things down going into the break and it is infuriating the home fans.
Haaland pickpockets Van Dijk and lays the ball off to Alvarez but his shot from 18 yards is in no way accurate.
42 mins: Stones gives the ball away on the halfway line and Szoboszlai breaks forward finding Diaz on the edge of the box. The Colombian cuts inside and takes aim but his shot flies wide.
40 mins: Nunez and Szoboszlai do well before the latter finds Elliott in the box. He takes a touch and shoots but finds Ake’s midriff. City clear the ball and Haaland ends up one-v-one with Van Dijk, who does well to push the striker wider than he would like and his shot is straight at Kelleher.
38 mins: Alvarez has been very good for City, justifying Guardiola’s decision to bring him back into the side. He has looked dangerous on the left and made some clever runs to create space for his teammates.
36 mins: Haaland gets a sniff of a chance but he is held up by Quansah and Van Dijk comes back to turn the ball behind for a corner. Foden swings it in and Quansah flicks away.
De Bruyne drives towards the box and lets fly from 20 yards but his shot is deflected wide.
34 mins: Alvarez is either stupid or naive, trying to pass the ball out when three Liverpool players descend on the edge of the box. Bradley ends up with the ball and shoots but it is blocked and Ederson comes to claim.
“There always seems a bit of Filippo Inzaghi about Nunez with his constant surprise being found five yards offside,” says Dechlan Brennan.
32 mins: It’s an energy sapping encounter whether you are playing or watching. Elliott chips the ball into the box and finds Szoboszlai unmarked but the Hungarian gets too much on his effort and it loops over.
“Didn’t you do Arsenal Brentford yesterday?” asks Eagle Brosi. “Are you in a sort of funk where you’re covering these games and not really able to watch them and the teams you want to win lose?
“It’s in my head that the MBM creators are cursed, if they’re lifelong Spurs fan they have to comment on Arsenal winning 6-0. If they’re Man U fans they have to watch Liverpool win. If they’re City fans they have to watch Rodri already on a yellow put hands on the referee and scream in their face because they gave the other team a throw in (replays show Rodri clearly kicked it out) and somehow underplay it.
“Good luck. I hope your team doesn’t lose... Again.”
If only you knew who I support …
Updated
30 mins: The City fans a pretty vocal too. They know this is a pivotal game in their season.
28 mins: The Anfield roar is back because they know their team need them. Diaz looks to get beyond Walker down the left but the wily defender knows what he is doing and the Colombian cross is a poor one in the end.
26 mins: Nunez gets beyond the City defence and passes the ball out to Diaz who tries to find the Uruguayan in the box, causing a bit of chaos with his cross, but the flag goes up.
24 mins: Justin Kavanagh says: “What a brilliant, intriguing contest this is. The fearless v the peerless.”
23 mins: Silva is having a fine game, drifting into dangerous areas. The latest run sees him reach the byline from where he dinks a cross to Haaland waiting at the back post but Van Dijk heads behind. City have worked on this one, with De Bruyne flashes the cross to the front post where Stones runs into space thanks to Ake blocking off Mac Allister. It is a fine set-piece.
GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Manchester City (Stones 23)
Stones steers in a corner at the near post. Genius stuff from De Bruyne.
Updated
22 mins: Liverpool’s energy levels are up and they are making life very difficult for City but the visitors have the quality to turn this match in an instance. They’ve offered plenty of promise going forward but fallen at the final hurdle on a couple of occasions.
Rodri plays a couple of passes out to Foden on the right but Gomez does well to win the ball back.
20 mins: City are making a few mistakes at the back and looking a little rattled inside the Anfield cauldron. Makes a for a fun match.
19 mins: DISALLOWED GOAL! A lovely pass from Mac Allister finds Nunez but he is a yard offside. The Uruguayan takes the ball into the box and finds Diaz in space to tap home but the flag is up before the celebrations can begin.
18 mins: Now Liverpool look to be causing all the problems. What an ebb and flow this match has.
Walker cleans out Szoboszlai to stop an attack on the halfway line. It could be a yellow card but Michael Oliver decides against it. That is Walker’s second foul of the match, one more and he will be in the book.
16 mins: Nunez tries to find Szoboszlai in space on the edge of the box but the Hungarian can not take control of the ball. Liverpool are getting into this match after weathering a bit of a storm.
Diaz does well on the left and earns himself some space; he manages to lift a cross to Nunez in space but the Uruguayan is just ahead of the ball and can only steer his header wide.
Updated
14 mins: Bradley takes the ball out of the sky on the right and darts into the box, tricking his way past Ake before pinging a low cross but it is ahead of everyone, including Nunez who pings into the post. That must hurt.
It is a sign that City’s defence can be got it, that’s for sure.
12 mins: All the play is in Liverpool’s half. City’s midfield players are roaming and find space in dangerous areas.
De Bruyne tries to dissect the Liverpool defence but Quansah reads it. Not that it matters because Haaland is a few yards offside.
10 mins: Foden shows Gomez some quick feet and gets beyond the full-back before slinging in a cross but Haaland is not in the box. City get a corner, however, after Bradley turns behind. Alvarez swings it in and there is a little bit of panic in the box but Liverpool manage to clear.
8 mins: Another break from City leads to Alvarez slipping a pass to De Bruyne on the overlap but the Belgian’s dink over Kelleher goes out for a goal kick rather than finding the onrushing Foden to nod in.
De Bruyne has another chance seconds later, rifling a powerful drive that Kelleher sees fit to just palm away. City are looking dangerous …
6 mins: Ederson pings a pass out to Foden on the right but he is dispossessed by Van Dijk to end a promising attack. City are looking the sharper in the opening stages.
4 mins: City are looking pretty slick in the opening stages. Silva drives forward and plays the ball outside to Alvarez on the left. The Argentinian cuts inside and takes aim but Kelleher is equal to it.
De Bruyne gets to the byline and lifts a cross alongside the six-yard line but it goes over everyone. Liverpool have received a few early warnings.
2 mins: City make Liverpool swap ends as part of the psychological battle.
There is a cracking atmosphere inside Anfield.
De Bruyne slips a passing to Foden inside the box but his first touch is, uncharacteristically, poor and Liverpool win it back.
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
Jones Manoah emails: “As a neutral Gooner, with absolutely no stake in this game, watching from Nairobi. Is it too much to ask the footballing gods for a highly entertaining draw with maybe a red for Rodri as the icing on the cake?”
Yes.
Seamus Enright says: “Continuing with the Hollywood Theme, from a Liverpool perspective, Szoboszlai is the handsome leading man, Bradley is the young ingénue and Nunez is the rebel who plays by his own rules.
“Who is the evil villain from a Liverpool perspective? A lot of Scousers dislike Bernardo Silva but I’m more tempted to say Haaland will be the horned viking attacking the peaceful monastery that is the Liverpool penalty area.”
The players are in the tunnel …
Anfield sounds quite lively today. Will it help Liverpool and hinder City? It will certainly be noisy from start to finish.
Jurgen Klopp: “It is fantastic. A sold out Anfield and we face the best team in the world, so I am really excited.”
On final Premier League game v Guardiola: “To me I hope people don’t see it like that, it is not about it. There was a Liverpool before and there will be a Liverpool after me.”
Advice to players: “Fight with all you have and play with all you have.
Pep Guardiola: “A big day, an important game.
“For Jurgen I understand [the emotions] but we focus on what we have to do.
“Perform well, against top sides you have to perform well.”
There have been issues in the past with City’s team bus on its approach to Anfield but it sounds like they snuck in around the back today without the home fans noticing.
Peadar de Burca emails: “From a paranoid Liverpool supporter’s point of view, this has the makings of a 0-5 thrashing as a result of the Reds going a goal down and throwing caution to the wind by sending big Caoimhin up for corners. Please God, don’t let that happen as it is a grey day here in south-west Poland and I don’t want the Poles to see me cry.”
Will City do their talking on the pitch?
Seamus Enright says: “Re: Sky Oscars comparison, I’m hoping a Corkman will come out on top in both.”
Sky are very keen to compare Liverpool v City to the Oscars and it is quite annoying.
“Any idea why Robby isn’t starting?” asks Gordon Brown.
Deemed not fit enough to start.
Big calls from the stats men.
🔮Here's how the title race predictions will swing depending on the result in Liverpool vs Man City today
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) March 10, 2024
#LIVMCI pic.twitter.com/rxY9M6mirR
Some additional Salah news.
Jim Morrish emails: “In the spirit of sporting corinthianism for which I’m renowned I have to say that once it’s a great and fair game I really don’t care who wins today as long as LFC end the proceedings with all three points.”
May the best team win.
Jurgen Klopp: “We never thought about starting Salah today. We can bring him on, which is pretty cool.”
Thankfully, for society, I have written about Kelleher.
It is a big afternoon for the Liverpool back five. Kelleher, Bradley and Quansah are still relatively inexperienced at this level and Gomez is playing out of position at left-back. Only Manchester City to stop …
There is no shortage of pre-match reading.
Starting lineups
Liverpool (4-3-3): Kelleher; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Gomez; Endo, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Diaz, Nunez, Elliott.
Substitutes: Adrian, Robertson, Tsimikas, Salah, Gakpo, McConnell, Clark, Nallo, Koumas.
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Stones, Akanji, Ake; Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva; Foden, Haaland, Alvarez
Subs: Ortega, Dias, Kovacic, Doku, Gomez, Gvardiol, Nunes, Bobb, Lewis.
Updated
Preamble
Does it get any bigger than this in mid-March? Not really. For many this could be a title decider but there is still a way to go in the season – the most important thing is that there is real competition to be Premier League champions. Both teams are in great form and will be eager to further prove their credentials with victory at Anfield today, especially after Arsenal defeated Brentford yesterday.
Liverpool have a few injury problems and Mohamed Salah only returned for 15 minutes against Sparta Prague on Thursday night after a month out. They have looked fearless in recent months, so will not be worried about Pep Guardiola et al pitching up on Merseyside. Liverpool had to travel to Prague in midweek which cannot have helped but they will be fit and firing come kick-off.
City have enjoyed an extra day of rest and did not need to travel, instead waltzing to a home victory over Copenhagen in the Champions League, resting a few big hitters in the process.
We should be in for a tense but an enjoyable afternoon.
Kick-off: 3.45pm GMT.
