Brilliant Liverpool face harsh realities of Premiership life

It was considered by many the most eagerly awaited game of the season so far with Liverpool with having ascended the top position over Christmas and Man City the team to beat.

Brendan Rodgers side arrived at the Etihad without breakthrough player of the moment Jon Flanagan having succumbed to the hamstring problem which caused the youngster to be substituted early in the second-half against Cardiff.  Cissokho came in at left-back.

Man City started as expected using the full width of the pitch to attack Liverpool down both flanks, especially down the left where Navas went after Cissokho with alacrity, the full-back looking all at sea.  City continued to carry the attack with Kolarov superb cross from the left being headed back across goal by Navas and clipping the outside of the post.

Even with City’s fast start Liverpool began to get a foothold with the excellent Henderson and Allen using subtlety and running power against the drive and quality of Toure and Fernandinho.

Both teams began to trade blows with Ya Ya Toure pulling a left-footed shot wide and Luis Suarez beating Lescott to a Coutinho corner to head just wide.  The first contentious moment was upon us with Sterling fastening on to a through ball to round Hart and put the ball in the net to be flagged off-side.  To say the decision was poor would be an understatement, as Sterling was at least 2-3 yards onside.

Liverpool were in no mood to be denied.  Suarez precise pass sent Sterling screaming through for the winger to round Hart, but intelligently and unselfishly step aside as Coutinho nipped in to the tuck the ball home.

Man City were soon level, but when it came it was disappointing as not for the first time this season Liverpool lost out in a set piece.  Martin Skrtel instead of defending is getting himself caught up in wrestling matches from dead ball situations.  On this occasion, Vincent Kompany managed to free himself just long enough to glance in a header with Joe Allen tried in vain to scramble away.  One wonders whether the Liverpool coaches are speaking to Skrtel about his defending methods?

Liverpool were playing as well as City and looked even more devastating on the counter-attack, moving at break-neck speed.  One brilliant moved involved, Henderson, Sterling and Suarez which put in Coutinho whose shot was saved brilliantly by Hart.  Coutinho, could and should have put Liverpool ahead.

With the throes of half-time upon us and confidence flowing Liverpool were looking to get back ahead when another attack broke down leaving only two defenders back.  Swiftly broke quickly, with Nasri switching the ball to Navas, who in turn found the willing Negredo, who looked to have scuffed his intended chip. 

Unbelievably, Mignolet wrist seemed to be made of melted chocolate as he pawed at the ball and watched it trickle in the net behind him. It was a crushing end to a half in which Liverpool had more than held their own.

As the players went off one wondered whether an experience organiser in defence or midfield would have bellowed orders not to refrain from being so gung-ho with half-time imminent?  But then again, one cannot legislate for mistakes of this nature and big players are often measured by how they perform in big games, although it should be said that Mignolet has kept us in games this season

The second-half continued much had as it had in the first with the game remaining open and Liverpool looking incisive.  Early on, Glen Johnson cut a pass back to Suarez, who laid the ball back to Henderson whose drive flashed just over the bar.

Sterling who is developing by the game showed nuisances to his game which in time will make him more than just a winger, played a delightful ball over the top, which the raiding Jordan Henderson just failed to connect and as the ball broke back Suarez couldn’t get enough on his shot to get in on target as it struck Henderson returning from an offside position.

Liverpool were now in the ascendency with Suarez and Henderson coming to the fore with Coutinho who’s link up lay with Sterling and Suarez had been exquisite, replaced by Moses. 

 

Liverpool will have regrets and while there were some extremely poor decisions from the officials we had enough clear cut opportunities to have buried this game.  Glen Johnson failed to react as the ball broke to him trying to control the ball when an instant shot could’ve proved more profitable.

The last real chance fell to Sterling after Suarez brilliantly escaped down the left and played in an inviting ball for the youngster to knock in with Joe Hart cut out of the equation by the precise nature of the cross.  Unfortunately, for him and Liverpool he blazed over from 7 yards and with it facing the harsh realities of football.

Man of the Match: Liverpool football team – Quite simply we produced our best performance of the season often playing stunning, exhilarating football.  Coutinho, Sterling and Suarez as a three looked unplayable at times with Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen in the supporting roles impressing once again.

Critical eye:  Always difficult to write this knowing that a win was in our grasp and for the second season in a row at the Etihad a goal keeping mistake had played a hand in a game we could have won.

A firm hand and experienced hand on the tiller may have calmed things and not left us susceptible to a counter-attack with half-time approaching, but we had enough chances within the Man City area to have killed the game off.

Hopefully we’ll keep up the level of intensity up for the Chelsea game, but there is always the worry that with so little quality to bring on these same players will have to buckle down for the Chelsea game.  One felt in the last 20 minutes we needed  some quality off the bench as our intensity began to wane, but is just wasn’t there with Aspas just returning from injury and as yet not showing anything approaching top class form.

Teams:

Liverpool: 22 Mignolet, 2 Johnson, 20 Cissokho, 21 Lucas (Iago Aspas – 82 mins), 37 Skrtel, 17 Sakho, 24 Allen, 14 Henderson, 7 Suarez, 31 Sterling, 10 Coutinho (Moses – 68 mins)

Subs: 1 Jones, 4 Kolo Toure, 5 Agger, 6 Luis Alberto, 9 Iago Aspas, 12 Moses, 44 Smith

Man City: 1 Hart, 5 Zabaleta, 13 Kolarov, 25 Fernandinho, 4 Kompany, 6 Lescott, 15 Jesus Nevas, 42 Yaya Toure, 9 Negrado (Dzeko – 77 mins), 21 Silva (Javi Garia – 87 mins), 8 Nasri (Milner – 72 mins)

Subs: 30 Pantilimon, 7 Milner, 10 Deko, 14 Javi Garcia, 22 Clichy, 33 Nastasic, 38 Boyata

Referee: Lee Mason

Attendance: 47, 351