Manchester City maintained their unbeaten start to this season's Champions League with a goalless stalemate against Copenhagen. The 0-0 draw was littered with flashpoints, with VAR playing a heavy role.
First, a superb goal from Rodri was chalked off after officials spotted a handball by colleague Riyad Mahrez in the build-up. The remote officials also awarded City a penalty in controversial circumstances - although Mahrez botched it - and waded in to send off Sergio Gomez.
In the end a point was the least the visitors deserved. Now, attention turns back to the Premier League with a crunch clash against Liverpool on the horizon. However, Sunday's visit to Anfield sees a huge buffer between the two teams with City second on 23 points and Liverpool way down in tenth on 10 points, albeit with a game in hand.
Read more: City player ratings against Copenhagen as Mahrez bad but Rodri good
Former City defender Joleon Lescott believes his old club have the upper hand heading into the fixture.
Speaking on BT Sport he said: "I think City go into this one as favourites, I think everyone knows that due to the form of Liverpool but the way City are playing as well. Look, it doesn’t give them the divine right to win the game but both teams form but City go into this game, big favourites, more than recent seasons."
Ex-Liverpool striker Peter Crouch, also on punditry duty, also thinks City are favourites - even more so when you add in the fact they were able to give Erling Haaland the night off in Denmark, whilst fellow key men Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva had light cameos.
He said: "It’s not quite the game of the last couple of seasons. Liverpool seem to be suffering at the moment and City seem to be flying. Adding Haaland into the mix, it does feel one-sided. We can’t read too much into tonight: they’ve managed to rest three key players in Foden, Silva and Haaland and they'll be fresh for the weekend. You have to fancy City."
One-time City man Owen Hargreaves concurred: "Thirteen points separate the two sides, for Liverpool it’s must-win, not just to save their season and top four. It’s probably the biggest gap we’ve seen between the two, the two best clubs in Europe we’ve seen in recent seasons. A huge game for Liverpool and to change their season but it’s hard to look past City when they’re firing."
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