Man City 2-2 Liverpool player ratings: “A great reminder what this game is all about”
In a pulsating afternoon of football, Manchester City and Liverpool played out another 2-2 draw to keep the Premier League title race balancing on a knife edge.
Pep Guardiola’s side dominated the game and twice took the lead only to be pegged back by Jurgen Klopp’s determined Reds. A match that was so good even Roy Keane admitted it was “a great reminder what this game is all about.”
Here’s how the players rated at the Etihad Stadium:
Manchester City
–Muhammad Butt, Chief Writer
Ederson – 5 – Ridiculously composed with the ball at his feet, but also should have done better on both Liverpool goals.
Kyle Walker – 8 – City’s safety valve put in a tremendously secure performance at the back to cover for his team-mates, repeatedly cutting out Liverpool attacks with brilliant timing, albeit he could have done more for Mané’s goal.
John Stones – 7 – A solid display for the most part. Didn’t really put a foot wrong.
Aymeric Laporte – 7 – Very impressive. Could do little about the goals conceded.
Joao Cancelo – 7 – Should have defended Alexander-Arnold better on Liverpool’s first equaliser but beyond that he was absolutely sensational and his pass for the second City goal was out of this world.
Rodri – 8 – Cool, calm and composed at the base of midfield. Ran the show with the utmost serenity.
Kevin De Bruyne – 9 – Opened the scoring with a deflected effort but that barely scratched the surface of his supremacy. He and Bernardo dominated the game with resounding quality. Some of the through passes De Bruyne pulled out were beyond belief, especially the one right at the end for Mahrez that should have won the title.
Bernardo Silva – 9 – Another superb display from the Portuguese, quietly knitting City’s passing attack together and being the best presser on the field. Ferocious in the defensive phases, tracking back and recovering the ball. He dribbled superbly too with a game-high 3/6 take-ons completed. No goals or assists but City’s dominance was built on Bernardo Silva.
Gabriel Jesus – 8 – Outstanding pressing to start game. A constant menace to Man City with his movement and energy. Gave City the lead with a superb run and finish late in the first half and could have scored more.
Raheem Sterling – 4 – Wonderful movement but truly awful use of the ball. Missed several chances in the first half. The only time he held his nerve to score, he was offside!
Phil Foden – 7 – Not as deliriously driven as he was at Anfield but still produced a few mesmermising moments as well as retaining full tactical discipline.
Manchester City Substitutes:
Riyad Mahrez (for Sterling 75′) – 5 – Struck the post with a superb free-kick but then missed a sitter to score the winner and seal the title for City at the very death.
Jack Grealish (for Jesus 83′) – 5 – Tried to get involved but couldn’t find the pace of the game.
How the Premier League title odds look now:
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Liverpool
–Mohamed Moallim, Staff Writer
Alisson – 6 –Pulled off an incredible save to deny Raheem Sterling early on but was unlucky 39 seconds later when Kevin De Bruyne’s deflected effort beat him. Often rushed out to meet City’s attackers, which could have easily turned costly.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7 –Liverpool’s best passer started the game tentatively but came alive once his team went behind. Alexander-Arnold’s delicious cutback for Diogo Jota forced home the equaliser. It was his 12th assist this season, more than any other Premier League player. He could have picked up a goal but his Beckham-esque halfway line attempt went awry. However, he was at some fault keeping Jesus onside, that lapse in concentration led to City retaking the lead.
Joel Matip – 6 – Nothing he could have done for City’s opener. Stood his ground against De Bruyne but the ball ricocheted off him and past Alisson in the Reds goal. That moment didn’t faze him as Matip grew as the game went along.
Virgil van Dijk – 6 – Started uncharacteristically nervously, but Liverpool’s colossus at centre-back would soon compose himself. There was not much he could have done to prevent both of City’s goals. Stood resolute on the goal line to deny Jesus just after the hour mark. Cynically brought down De Bruyne to earn a late yellow card.
Andrew Robertson – 5 – Looked a little bit rushed this afternoon. Robertson collected a first half yellow borne out of frustration and wasn’t allowed to be his cavalier self as Gabriel Jesus proved to be a worthy opponent. When he did get forward, Liverpool were at their attacking best.
Where do Man City and Liverpool rank among the Champions League favourites?
- To win the Champions League outright: Man City 7/4 | Liverpool 15/8 | Bayern Munich 9/2 | Real Madrid 6/1
- English team to go furthest: Man City 10/11 | Liverpool EVS | Chelsea 25/1
Follow this link for more William Hill football betting markets. Odds correct at time of publication. You must be over 18 to gamble. For more information, visit Be Gamble Aware.
Fabinho – 4 – Could he have done better for City’s deadlock breaking goal? Perhaps as De Bruyne ghosted past the Brazilian defensive midfielder. That said, Fabinho quietly got on with his job, nothing flash in the heart of midfield. Lucky to not have seen red in the final minutes when his late challenge brought down former Monaco teammate Bernardo Silva.
Jordan Henderson – 4 – Another who felt anonymous mainly because of how City controlled large swathes of possession. Henderson did join Liverpool’s few sieges on Ederson’s goal and could have done better in one moment during the first half when his lobbed ball forward broke down a rare attack.
Thiago – 6 – Touched the ball infrequently in the opening phases, but Pep Guardiola’s former star pupil at Bayern Munich couldn’t impose himself on this game with his metronomic passing. He was at times, in no better terms, invisible (however, he delivered an astonishing ball in the build-up to Liverpool’s opener). Cautioned for committing a reckless offence in the 61st minute.
Mohamed Salah – 6 – Had a really quiet first half but exploded 47 seconds into the second half. Mane’s first goal at the Etihad saw him receive an expertly weighted pass from Mohamed Salah before beating Kyle Walker in a foot race to slot home Liverpool’s second equaliser of the game.
Sadio Mané – 6 – He would have been the one Guardiola’s men needed to keep quiet today, and they did a moderately good job. But you can’t keep a good player down and Salah displayed the playmaking side of his game to bring Liverpool back into contention. Was his more direct self in the second 45 minute.
Diogo Jota – 7 – Such a tireless worker. Many expected Jota to begin today’s game on the bench, but Jurgen Klopp had other ideas and the Portuguese forward repaid his manager’s faith by netting his first goal against City, another neat finish to move him on to 15 goals for the season. Him seamlessly closing down Ederson at every opportunity nearly paid off in the most spectacular way.
Liverpool Substitutes:
Luis Diaz (for Jota 70′) – 6 – Came on to do a job but couldn’t pick up where Jota left off.
Naby Keita (for Henderson 78′) – N/A – A late sub.
Roberto Firmino (for Mane 84′) – N/A – A late sub.
