Manchester City came from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 on Sunday in a result that could have huge ramifications in the Premier League title race.
Liverpool had to play second fiddle to City in the first half at Anfield, with Pep Guardiola’s men controlling the game for large spells and outshooting them 10-3. However, a string of quality Alisson saves and some measured defending from the likes of Milos Kerkez and Virgil van Dijk kept City at bay.
The second half was a different story, with Liverpool coming out of the blocks fast. The Reds had more shots in the first 11 minutes of the second half (4) than the entirety of the first half (3), firmly reminding the visitors of their quality.
But it took until the 74th minute for Liverpool to finally make their pressure pay, and even then, it was a moment of pure magic from Szoboszlai, who unleashed a piledriver free-kick from 30 yards to leave Gianluigi Donnarumma stranded.
However, it took just 10 minutes for Man City to claw themselves level, with Bernardo Silva creeping behind the Liverpool backline and connecting with an Erling Haaland header to beat a sprawling Alisson.
The latter then scored from the penalty spot to deliver the win, while there was even time for a vital Donnarumma save, and a Rayan Cherki goal from distance into an open net to be disallowed, because of a red-card-worthy foul from Szoboszlai on Haaland, full of VAR controversy.
Sky Bet Offer: Get £40 in free bets when you place any bet
Looking for some free bets to boost your betting fund? Sky Bet are offering customers the chance to get £40 in free bets when they sign up and place any qualifying bet.
- Sign up at Sky Bet using this link
- Place a qualifying bet of at least 5p on a single or each way bet at odds of 1/1 or greater, as your first bet
- Claim your £40 free bet bonus
18+ NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE & E/W BET ONLY ODDS OF 1/1 OR GREATER. 4 X £10 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. FREE BETS EXPIRE AFTER 30 DAYS. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&CS APPLY.
Szbobszlai felled by double-edged sword as Silva inspires Man City comeback
Gary Neville called it in his commentary for Sky Sports, but if someone was going to win this for Liverpool, it really did feel like it would be Szoboszlai.
The Hungary international was operating once again as a stand-in right-back, doing so to great effect. Szoboszlai, was a menace going forward with eight crosses, 53 completed passes, and 11 passes into the final third. And defensively, he shut out considerable City threats like Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush with two tackles, four clearances, one interception and seven recoveries.
Even those numbers paled into insignificance when Szboszlai let loose a missile into the City net in front of the Kop with a free-kick that will surely go down as one of the goals of the season.
But football can be a cruel sport, and barely 10 minutes after being the hero, Szoboszlai played his part in Liverpool’s downfall.
It was he who was just a yard too deep as Liverpool defended a City cross, keeping Bernardo Silva onside as he latched on to an Erling Haaland header to poke the ball beyond Alisson.
“Bernardo Silva is a fighter. He is not giving up,” said Neville.
Indeed, if Szoboszlai was Liverpool’s best player — at least for the first 83 minutes — Silva was the inspiration for City. The veteran Portuguese midfielder embodied the captain’s armband with his work off the ball, while with it, he completed 87% of his passes, created two chances and put four crosses into the Liverpool box.
Silva’s persistence and leadership were only magnified as his goal set the stage for City to complete their comeback, with Haaland converting a stoppage-time penalty won by Matheus Nunes, who was felled in the box by Alisson.
Szoboszlai’s misery was completed as he was sent off in the final moments for dragging down Haaland as Cherki’s halfway-line shot rolled into an empty net.
Arsenal left sweating after remarkable Man City turnaround
The aftershocks of this result on Merseyside will be felt all the way down in North London.
With City on a run of just one win in six Premier League matches heading into Sunday, Arsenal were very much threatening to run away with this title race. The joy of the Gunners would have been multiplied tenfold when Szoboszlai dispatched his free-kick.
But what followed was a clear indicator that City don’t intend to fall away without a fight. They’re going to push Arsenal all the way and make them work for this long-awaited title.
Sunday’s win leaves City six points behind Arsenal, with the two due to meet at the Etihad Stadium in mid-April, just weeks after they clash in the EFL Cup final.
More immediately, City must make the most of a seemingly favourable Premier League run that sees them host Fulham and a struggling Newcastle, before travelling to Leeds at the end of February.
Win those games, and Arsenal may just start to sweat under the pressure.