‘Let’s keep fighting!’ – How the Liverpool dressing room reacted to thrilling Man City draw
Liverpool’s Premier League match against Manchester City ended in a dramatic 1-1 stalemate at Anfield on Sunday.
John Stones gave Pep Guardiola’s team a first-half lead on Merseyside, capitalizing on a well-worked corner routine from creator-in-chief Kevin De Bruyne. However, five minutes into the second half, Alexis MacAllister wiped out the visitors’ advantage by slamming a penalty past Ederson, who had fouled Darwin Nunez in the box.
Phil Foden and Luis Diaz each had chances to win it for their teams in the second half, but neither could capture all three points and gain significant ground on the other at the top of the Premier League.
The result means that Arsenal will enter the remaining ten games of the season at the top of the Premier League table, level on points with Liverpool but with a higher goal difference, owing primarily to their spectacular 6-0 victory against Sheffield United last week.
However, there was enough to be optimistic about for the Reds and manager Jurgen Klopp, who described it as his team’s best second-half effort against Manchester City since his arrival at Anfield over nine years ago.
But what did the Liverpool players make of the outcome? The ECHO looks at the Reds’ reactions.
Laying the foundations.
Despite failing to preserve a clean sheet against Manchester City, Liverpool’s defence deserved praise, with captain Virgil van Dijk marshaling the likes of Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley against the customary free-scoring Erling Haaland.
After the game, Van Dijk lamented his team’s inability to capitalize on their dominance at Anfield, but insisted that the Premier League season is still far from over. He commented on Instagram, “An heated battle; we could’ve gotten more. “Recover, regroup, and keep going.”
Alongside the Dutchman, 21-year-old Quansah caught the spotlight again and echoed his skipper’s words, writing: “We keep pushing!”
Meanwhile, Joe Gomez added: “Bittersweet, but we get the point,” and Bradley added: “Some atmosphere today. “Well done, boys.”
Mac Allister was widely regarded as Liverpool’s Man of the Match on Sunday afternoon.
It follows the Argentine’s current upward trend, which began when Wataru Endo returned from the Asia Cup in February, allowing Mac Allister to enjoy his new place on the left side of midfield.
In Mohamed Salah’s absence, Mac Allister took on spot-kick duty, as he did against Sparta Prague on Thursday, and dispatched his shot with ease.
Mac Allister wrote on Instagram on Sunday night: “This is Anfield, where every goal, match, and step feeds our path. Let us continue to battle together because our spirit never travels alone in our city.
Endo, meanwhile, wrote: “Keep going. Thank you for your excellent help today. Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool’s third midfielder, wrote, “The competition isn’t over yet!”
The Red Arrows
Diaz led the Reds’ pursuit for a winning goal in the second half, and despite being offered with two good opportunities, he failed to test Stefan Ortega, who replaced the injured Ederson just after halftime.
However, the Colombian earned glowing praises for his performance against the seasoned Kyle Walker, ensuring that the England international will not forget Sunday’s visit to Anfield anytime soon.
Diaz wrote on Instagram, “It wasn’t the outcome we fought for.” Many thanks to our fans. What tremendous energy. “Cmon, reds!”
Harvey Elliott, who was given his sixth consecutive start in all competitions on Sunday, wrote, “We keep fighting.”
