Manchester City kept their title hopes from turning to ash with a chaotic 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield. An Erling Haaland penalty in the 93rd minute capped a frantic comeback, moving Pep Guardiola’s side within six points of leaders Arsenal.
For Liverpool, the afternoon was a bitter pill. A sublime free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai; the stand-in right-back and player of the season, had the hosts on the verge of a season-defining win before a late collapse and a controversial VAR-induced red card left the Kop in stunned silence.
The game remained locked in a tactical stalemate for 74 minutes until the Hungarian broke the deadlock.
74' -Breakthrough: Dominik Szoboszlai addresses a free-kick 30 yards out. He strikes it with the outside of his boot, sending it dipping into the far post. Gianluigi Donnarumma is left static. 1-0 Liverpool.
84' -Lifeline: Substitute Rayan Cherki crosses for Haaland, who nods it into the path of Bernardo Silva. Silva lashes home from close range. 1-1.
90+3' -Spot-kick: Matheus Nunes is cleaned out by Alisson Becker in the box. Erling Haaland steps up and buries his 21st league goal of the season. 1-2 Man City.
90+9' -VAR chaos: Alisson is up for a corner. City break. Cherki rolls a shot from his own half toward an empty net. Szoboszlai pulls Haaland back outside the box to prevent a second goal.
Referee Craig Pawson disallows the Cherki goal due to a Haaland foul in the build-up, but sends off Szoboszlai for the initial foul on Haaland.
Pep Guardiola’s side secured their first win at a full Anfield since 2003. With Arsenal only six points ahead and still needing to visit the Etihad, City’s pedigree as title winners is now the looming shadow over the Gunners.
It's proper. When you go into the last games playing any team in a relegation battle, it's a proper game, football game. Because they live to survive and they have long weeks to prepare, [whereas] you come from FA Cup, you come from Carabao Cup, you come from the Champions League. That makes an influence in the title race, that's why being nine, 10, 11 points is more difficult, that's why all we can do is breathe down the neck of Arsenal, being there, and try if they sleep, if they make something (a mistake), use it.
Pep Guardiola, Manager, Manchester City
Arne Slot’s side showed visible improvement in pressing intensity but lacked the ruthlessness to finish the champions. The decline of veterans like Mohamed Salah and Alisson was noted, as Liverpool remains outside the Champions League spots, trailing 4th-placed Manchester United by five points.
The improvement we have made since three or four months ago was visible for everyone," said Slot. "Second half, our standards went up, in terms of intensity, we were pressing them all over the place and that is the biggest improvement we have made. That the whole is capable against one of the teams that is maybe the best team in England in ball possession, to do so well off the ball is a big improvement. A fantastic second half. I was expecting more than being one goal up.
Arne Slot, Manager, Liverpool
