LIVERPOOL 1, MAN CITY 0
Mohamed Salah inflicted a first Premier League defeat on Manchester City and looked to reignite Liverpool’s faltering campaign.
The Egyptian’s 12th goal of the season settled a pulsating clash of the two teams which have dominated the domestic game in recent years.
But the big winners were Arsenal who opened up a four-point lead at the top of the table after their earlier victory at Leeds.
For Liverpool, it was strange as they kicked off the game in the bottom table of the table, but only their third league victory lifted them to eighth.
It was a frustrating afternoon for City as Erling Haaland had three clear-cut chances but failed to add to his 20 goals. This was only the second league game in which he had failed to find the net.
Phil Foden, fresh from signing a new long-term contract, also had a goal ruled out in a passionate second half when emotions ran high.
Embed from Getty ImagesCity manager Pep Guardiola, who complained about being pelted by coins, said: “We played a really good game and had four, five, six, seven chances in a tight game.
“This is a game where there are really fine margins, and the mistakes are punished. We made a mistake, and we cannot concede and that’s why we lost the game.
“We have to learn in the future from tight games like that. They shout, we have to shout more. They tun, we have to run more.
“We played to beat Liverpool today, definitely we played for that. After 1-0 the crowd shouted but we shouted more on the pitch.
“The referee said played on, played on, played on, there were a thousand million fouls like this and this one is because we scored a goal. So, they disallowed because we scored a goal, otherwise it would not have been disallowed.
“We lost because we make a mistake, but this is Anfield.
“The crowd tried [to throw coins/objects] but they didn’t touch me. Maybe next time they will be better.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp registered an 11th victory against Guardiola, four more defeats than any other coach.
He said: “Result, perfect. Performance, really, really good, in an incredibly intense game.
“We defended at an incredibly high level for almost 99 minutes. They had their moments but especially in the box we did extremely well.
“This was for us obviously big today. We showed up today and that is all we wanted to do.
“City didn’t have these counterattack situations, we had them three times. The situation around the goal is just sensational awareness from Alisson and outstanding from Mo. He might miss one, but he will not miss two in a similar situation.
“Goals decide the game but there were so many good football moments against what I would say is the best football team isn’t the world.”
On his red card, Klopp added:”In the end, it was probably deserved, but you cannot have this situation. It is the clearest foul I ever saw in front of the linesman, and he is not bothered. It is clear. They just watch the game but we [the managers] are involved.”
Klopp placed great faith in 36-year-old James Milner at right-back knowing City have targeted him in that area before.
Ibrahima Konate’s absence was a big blow, but man of the moment Roberto Firmino was in the starting line-up with Darwin Nunez on the bench.
Haaland, of course, led City’s attack but there was no starting place for Jack Grealish.
After a cagey opening City carved out the first clear-cut chance when a 25-yard drive from Ilkay Gundogan forced a diving save from Alisson.
Liverpool’s first opening in the 21st minute saw Dioga Jota head straight at goalkeeper Ederson from eight yards following a Harvey Elliott cross.
Andrew Roberton fired over when he ought to have hit the target after Ederson palmed out Milner’s cross.
Haaland had his first chance of the game 10 minutes before the break but tamely headed over from six yards.
That was quickly followed by an even better one as he rose above Joe Gomez to meet Kevin De Bruyne’s floated cross but his header, again from six yards, was saved low down on the line by Alison.
Liverpool had the best chance of the match five minutes after the restart to take the lead.
Mohamed Salah was put clear through by Elliott and looked certain to score. It looked as though he had rolled his shot wide from 18 yards, but replays showed Ederson got a vital touch to deflect the ball wide.
City thought they had taken the lead through Phil Foden in the 55th minute only for the goal to be ruled out for a foul by Haaland on Fabinho in the build-up.
VAR sent referee Anthony Taylor to the pitchside monitor and he ruled it was a foul.
There was also further doubt when Alisson dived at the feet of Haaland and whether he had the ball under control before it rebounded to Foden who lashed in a shot which went in off Gomez who was trying to clear on the line.
The incident whipped up the Liverpool fans into a frenzy and moments later Liverpool had a great chance to break the deadlock when Jota’s header clipped the outside of the upright from Salah’s cross.
Haaland had another chance, a shot from the edge of the box which Alisson saved superbly low to his right.
Bernardo Silva and Salah both rolled shots wide as the intensity increased as both sides pushed to make the all-important breakthrough.
That finally came with 14 minutes left after a piece of quick thinking from Alisson. His speedy kick caught City’s defence cold as Salah turned Joao Cancelo in the centre circle and raced clear to score.
It came shortly after Liverpool had made a triple change and initially Salah it looked as though Salah was going to be replaced.
Klopp later revealed that was never the case and he was unaware the board had been raised to bring him off, adding he simply wanted to speak to him as the striker went towards the touchline.
Darwin Nunez, one of the changes, went close to doubling the lead as he fired narrowly wide.
As passions became sky high after some ferocious challenges, Klopp, incensed on the touchline, was given a red card by Taylor for his reaction to one on Salah.
Guardiola made his first change in the 90th minute as Gundogan made way for Julian Alvarez.
Six minute of stoppage time became almost 10 following an injury to Jota who was taken from the pitch on a stretcher, but City never came close to conjuring an equaliser as Liverpool’s game management of the latter stages was excellent.