In a fascinating game with several moments and subplots, it was right up there.
The video went viral of Liverpool player Wataru Endo chasing down Kevin De Bruyne, recovering the ball at the halfway line, and then turning away to head towards the City goal while his opponent flailed his arms wide in fury.
The fact that De Bruyne, the architect of City’s opener for John Stones, left shortly after highlighted the shift in momentum in the game, in which the tireless Endo was crucial as the Reds clawed back to gain a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Sunday.
And it was another evidence of the 31-year-old’s significant influence on Liverpool’s overall team performance as well as the level of those around him. Not least, Alexis MacAllister was pushed into a more aggressive role and, following his successful penalty equaliser against City, has contributed three goals and three assists in his previous seven outings.
If there were any lingering questions about Endo’s appropriateness at Liverpool after his £16.25 million transfer from Stuttgart last summer, his performance against the European champions put them to rest.
In a microcosm of his rookie season at Anfield, he struggled at first before excelling in the second half. If De Bruyne was too often left in free space in the first quarter, Endo’s performance contributed significantly to the Belgian’s departure before the final whistle.
Up against Rodri, the world’s current best defensive midfielder, the 31-year-old’s nonstop engine and strong mentality helped him outperform the Spaniard. Endo won six of seven duels, no player on either side made more than four tackles, his pass accuracy of 95% was second only to Virgil van Dijk, and he had six recoveries and two interceptions.
Indeed, Pep Guardiola saw Endo’s continual willingness to make advanced passes, and later stated the midfield connection between the Japan international and Mac Allister contributed to a subtle shift in Liverpool’s approach that City struggled to adapt to.
“After the first half it was difficult because with Endo and Mac Allister they have extra passes and the quality to play – before, they were more direct – without losing how direct they can be in transitions,” remarked the Manchester City manager.
Endo has recognized his improving understanding of Mac Allister. “He played incredible and we always like to look for each other especially when we have the ball,” that’s what he said. “I have a very good feeling with him.”
The Japanese has yet to lose a Premier League game in which he has started, having won nine and drawn three out of twelve. In retrospect, his absence from the 3-1 defeat against title rivals Arsenal in February while on Asia Cup duty proved critical. He has developed into a player that Liverpool cannot do without.
“The atmosphere was amazing,” Endo commented about Sunday’s game on LFC TV. “I wanted to win for our fans, but I don’t think this result was too horrible. We only scored one, but the way we played and created opportunities was incredible. We need to keep playing like we did, and the results will follow.
“The younger players delivered an outstanding performance. Injured players are gradually returning, so we are in a terrific situation right now. We need to demonstrate that this one point is crucial at the end of the season. We must play as we did and win every game.”
The nip and tuck of an increasingly tense struggle means Liverpool has a good chance of remaining in the Premier League title race with City and Arsenal until the end of the season. And if that’s the case, expect Endo to run as hard as he did at the start of the campaign.
