Jamie Carragher was proven correct on his concerns about how Manchester City would be able to exploit Liverpool on Sunday.
The two sides met at the Etihad in what was billed as a potential Premier League title decider, with City just one point clear of their opponents going into the clash. It was a clash that lived up to its billing with high levels of both quality and entertainment on display.
Ahead of kick-off, Sky Sports pundits Carragher and Roy Keane were in agreement over the shortcomings of the Reds which had largely been a result of the quality of City in recent years. It is a game that has become the most important in the Premier League in the past four seasons in terms of deciding the outcome of that season’s title.
Pep Guardiola’s City are aiming for their fourth Premier League title in five years, a run which was only interrupted by Liverpool’s title in 2020. That was a moment that ended the Reds three-decade wait to land their 19 th crown – but they will have felt it could have been many more had it not been for City’s excellence.
There was much talk ahead of Sunday’s clash as to how both sides would line-up and how each could potentially exploit the limited weaknesses of their opponent. Carragher identified how City might be able to get the better of Liverpool in a prediction that ultimately played out in the game.
Carragher identified Reds full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose qualities are unquestionable – particularly in his passing ability and attacking threat from wide. He did however believe that his positioning could be exploited by City – a reality that was played out by being beaten by Gabriel Jesus for the home side’s second goal.
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Carragher said ahead of kick-off on Sky Sports: "Trent Alexander-Arnold fascinates me every time I watch him. His passing, his delivery is something I've never seen before from a full-back. It's exceptional.
"But I always feel in the big games against Liverpool, it's the one area - the right-hand side of their defence - that you can potentially get at. If it is Sterling or if it is Foden, it's going to be one of the best match-ups of the day in terms of who comes out on top. It's going to be a fascinating battle."
Alexander-Arnold has been one of the key players for Liverpool in recent seasons with elite attacking quality constantly making the difference for the Reds, but one of the few vulnerabilities in Jurgen Klopp’s sides against fellow elite opponents is the space that is left behind their full-backs, who are encouraged to press forward.
