Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola’s final Premier League meeting concluded in a typically dramatic and enthralling stalemate, with Manchester City holding Liverpool at Anfield.
Alexis MacAllister’s second-half penalty, gained after Darwin Nunez was cleared by goalkeeper Ederson, wiped out John Stones’ finish from a clever corner routine in the first period.
Despite creating a series of promising chances in the second half, Liverpool were unable to take the lead and were denied a stoppage-time penalty when Jeremy Doku’s high boot struck Mac Allister in the chest. Arsenal are now the new Premier League leaders, having defeated Brentford 2-1 at home the previous evening.
As always, the ECHO was present at Anfield to give post-game ratings, analysis, and a conclusion. Here’s how some of the national media covered Sunday’s contest.
Miguel Delaney, The Independent: “This is actually the true significance of a fixture that had been hyped as another seismic Liverpool-City encounter but ended relatively unsatisfactorily. There was no climax. Instead of settling anything, it established a pace.
“After months in which Liverpool looked so great but questions remained about how excellent they were, we now have a solid answer. Despite the absence of numerous experienced players, they were able to recover and dominate against City. That’s a big step.
“They have become the team to beat, except Arsenal is still ahead of them.” And, once this clash between two great rivals was over, attention went to the reality that this appears to be the Premier League’s first legitimate three-way race in a decade. Both managers were asked about the idea, despite the fact that neither had previously experienced it.
“It’s new even for them. The feeling of unpredictability adds to the excitement. They won’t merely glance at each other. When asked if this presented a new challenge, Guardiola responded with curiosity.
“‘You are not going to undercut our prior Premier Leagues,’ he added, before repeating the word ‘credit’.
“That whole issue appears to have progressively upset the Catalan of late, and it’s difficult not to question if it’s related to all the admiration for the leaving Klopp. The German just pondered if he’d ever competed in a three-way race and determined that he hadn’t.
Henry Winter of The Times: “It promised to be epic, and it delivered. Talent and drive levels ensured it. Before the thrilling entertainment began, Dominik Szoboszlai stood in the passageway, resting against the wall beside the medical store, completely focused. As Michael Oliver directed the teams into the world of noise, Szoboszlai extended his left hand and touched Haaland on the back of the neck. The city’s tallest forward turned and smiled. Respect was in the air.
“So was ‘Right Here, Right Now’, but no one needed reminding of the significance of this passage of time across a foggy Merseyside afternoon. However, City’s decision to win the toss and force Liverpool to attack the Kop in the first half demonstrated the champions’ determination to disturb Klopp’s challengers. It did not work. Klopp’s players have a resilient spirit.
“It was virtually impossible to keep up with the never-ending drama. Doku hit the post, and the ball rebounded back into Kelleher’s joyful arms. Salah promptly tore down the opposite end. City averted a late scare when Doku raised his foot and hit Mac Allister with a high tackle. Oliver had a look and waved play on, VAR agreed, and the honors were shared. Everything is on the line when it comes to the championship.
Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail: “Standing on the touchline, hands on his head, the smell of sulphur in the air, Pep Guardiola had been here before.”
“With a blizzard of crimson threatening to envelop his champions, a Liverpool squad drove forward on a diet of emotion, adrenaline, and purpose.
“This was Liverpool during Guardiola’s time in the Premier League with Manchester City.” This has been Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. Soon, things will change, and Guardiola, deep down, knows this better than anyone.
“Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, whoever wins this year’s Premier League, Guardiola will see Klopp walk away knowing he never completely solved the conundrum.
“Guardiola has more league titles to his name and hence can claim to have dominated the English top flight in a way that no one else has in the modern era. Still, he has never been able to solve the deep and complicated issues posed by Klopp’s Liverpool teams.
“Here, as the home team recovered from an improved first half, Guardiola simply watched a similar story develop. As the expression goes, he had seen this film before.
“Liverpool played with a ferocity that no other team in Europe could match. Liverpool played in a fashion that made no sense considering their patched-up lineup. Liverpool presented a challenge that was both emotional and tactical. In short, Liverpool is playing just like their manager.
“And this is the brutal truth for Liverpool as they prepare to move forward without Klopp at the end of the season. When asked about it last Friday, Klopp sounded modest. Of course, he was. He believes the club is well-positioned for success. And he is correct, but only to a degree.”
According to Barney Ronay of The Guardian, it just took one minute in the second half for the game to turn. Darwin Nunez had a fantastic game here. He once had more offsides (five) than completed passes. In between, he whirled around like an angry dog, destroying the dinner service, crushing your Lego set, and sometimes scarcely appearing to play football at all, more of a parkour workout. But he was there to charge down Nathan Ake’s weak backpass and earn the penalty that made the score 1-1.
“Mac Allister took the kick and buried it in the upper corner. And Mac Allister was fantastic in the second half. He still ratted and ferreted, never dominating the game or dictating the tempo, because for half of the time, this game appeared to live outside of the players, like a runaway entity in its own right.
“Mac Allister has grown during the season. He is a rare elite midfielder. Despite not being swift, tall, elegant, or aristocratic in manner, he was given with exceptional game-smarts, bravery, and the ability to read the movements of the planets around him. By the end, he had four shots on goal, four tackles, a goal, and numerous bruising clashes to his name.
“For a moment, Anfield threatened to pulse with old-school winning spirit, with the Kop end functioning as a noise funnel. The city was too strong to bend. They might have triumphed in the end. Despite playing with only nine outfield players, Erling Haaland had little impact on the game and was kept in check by top-class defenders. One of these days, he will seize one of these opportunities for City. On days like these, for all of his incredible numbers, it may seem like seeing a competition winner play up front for the world champs, adding another layer of diversity to an already fantastic game.”
Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo: “That the Reds are still pursuing a quadruple in mid-March is a remarkable achievement given their ongoing injury issues. While they were without 11 players here, City only had one first-team regular out, but that increased to two when Ederson walked off with an injury received while fouling Darwin Nunez for the penalty.
“Indeed, it was Liverpool’s youthful players that shone, with Harvey Elliott particularly impressive, as were Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley. It’s no surprise that Klopp believes his successor will inherit a forward-thinking squad.
“As the Liverpool manager’s final meeting at this stadium with Guardiola, this scorching display was a suitable send-off. While Klopp leaves in the summer, Anfield remains. And, before that, it might be a deciding factor in the remainder of an exciting title battle. “Just ask Guardiola.”
