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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Jamie Jackson at the Etihad Stadium

Manchester City 2-2 Liverpool: Premier League player ratings

Kevin De Bruyne opens the scoring via a deflection.
Kevin De Bruyne opens the scoring via a deflection. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images/Reuters

Manchester City (4-2-1-3)

Ederson Bad error allowed Jota’s strike in and was casual at times when clearing under pressure before settling down. 5/10

Kyle Walker Potent going forward and though pacy in defence, he is culpable for not tracking Mané when latter breached Ederson. 6

John Stones Might have scored from slick City free-kick routine. Had been composure personified before Liverpool awoke following interval. 6

Aymeric Laporte Legginess was tested by Salah and company in second period and the Spaniard was often second best. 6

João Cancelo Darting runs and vision posed questions – and there was no answer to the deft parabola that created Jesus’s finish. 7

Rodri Snapped into tackles and helped flood Liverpool but struggled when those in red moved into gear. Late clearing header invaluable. 7

Bernardo Silva Excellent. Operated alongside Rodri – a rarity– and served long-range rearguard-splitters while ghosting into advanced areas. 8

Gabriel Jesus His first goal in 16 league outings was an in-the-off-bar affair but he then became too greedy to Guardiola’s chagrin. 7

Kevin De Bruyne Left-foot zinger in off Matip and Alisson’s left post gave City a dream start. A perpetual menace from first to last whistle. Man of the match. 8

Phil Foden Lightning feet and brain gave Joël Matip a nightmarish afternoon the youngster was one of City’s high points. 8

Raheem Sterling City’s false 9 missed a golden early chance but speed splayed visitors and was marginally offside when registering after the hour. 6

Substitutes: Riyad Mahrez (for Sterling, 75) 7; Jack Grealish (for Jesus, 83) 6.

Liverpool (4-3-3)

Alisson Secure when required – the Brazilian had scant chance with either City goal and was then largely untroubled. 7

Trent Alexander-Arnold Influential. One lovely sliced pass went back-to-front; he teed up Jota for first equaliser; and was involved in team’s second. 7

Joël Matip Deflection helped De Bruyne’s shot in, and sluggish when City were in firefly-mode, defender was relieved when Liverpool got a grip. 6

Virgil van Dijk Dawdle nearly allowed Jesus in. Clearing a Walker ball was better but the Dutchman struggled (understandably) with City’s zippy geometric play. 6

Andy Robertson Probed with chipped passes in behind City yet first-half anger at Van Dijk and yellow card showed stress the home team administered. 6

Fabinho A passenger in opening 45 minutes, he was out-muscled and out-thought but later did steady a little. 5

Thiago Alcântara If sweeping pass right initiated move for Jota’s equaliser, the Spaniard was a factor only intermittently. 6

Jordan Henderson Had been overrun by the blue machine before the captain was part of sequence that derived Mané’s finish. 6

Mohamed Salah Tracked back and his zephyr-like ability to slip into gaps and produce was evident in ball that set-up Mané. 8

Sadio Mané Anonymous before the break, brilliant seconds after it, the forward making no mistake to make it 2-2. 8

Diogo Jota Cool finish from a Portuguese who might have had a couple more via Salah’s bright second-half display. 7

Substitutes: Luis Díaz (for Jota, 70) 7; Naby Keïta (for Henderson, 78) 6; Roberto Firmino (for Mané, 85) 6.

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