Liverpool overcome City fight back to stay top: Liverpool 3 Man City 2

With Margaret Aspinall and others from the families of the 96 looking on this was always going to be more of a coming together than a football match as Anfield remembered the 25^th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.  It was a show of we are one and that’s why the 96 and their families Will Never Walk Alone.

Dedlfc sent out a text yesterday following the minutes silence at the FA Cup Semi-Final between Arsenal and Wigan which read the following “FA have given is a fitting tribute at the FA semi-final by leaving 96 seats vacant as a mark of respect of respect for our 96 fans who died 25 years ago!  Respect as last!

Liverpool hit their straps quickly with Coutinho and Sterling the two standout players buzzing around the gaps between Manchester City’s midfield and defence causing consternation with their movement, pace and speed of thought which left City chasing shadows.

In an electrifying opening, Liverpool as they have done so often this season threatened to dismantle Man City quickly moving in to top gear.   Suarez, brilliantly shielded the ball from Demichelis before shrugging off Clichy to release Sterling running in behind the Man City defence.  The youngster, coolly steadied himself before turning Kompany inside out and slotting past Hart with the Kop almost blowing the roof of in celebration.

Anfield's observes a minute's silence

Liverpool’s ascendency was given even more of a lift when City’s talisman  Yaya Toure limped off after shooting high into the Anfield Road stand to be replaced by Javi Garcia.   Daniel Sturridge who has looked out of sorts in the last 3 games, should have put us two-nil up when Sterling found him with beautifully judged ball which was bent into his stride, unfortunately the 20 goal striker slid the ball wide of the far post.

If the excited crowd thought that the miss would prove costly only minutes later the worries were intensified.  Coutinho’s corner found Gerrard unmarked and the soaring captain’s powerful header was expertly turned over by Joe Hart.  Gerrard with his trademark delivery whipped in the ensuing corner which found Skrtel who having peeled away from Kompany glanced a header in the top corner sending Anfield into rapturous delirium.  The ecstatic crowd began shouting “Poetry in Motion” as Coutinho and Sterling continued to terrorise the city back four.

There was no way we could continue the break neck pace and City began to impose themselves as the first half moved to a close and may well have felt they should have had a penalty when Sakho’s missed timed tackle in the penalty area seemed to collect Dzeko on the follow through.  Sterling, the star of Liverpool’s attacking effort appeared on the line to the head the ball up, Glen Johnson managed to head the ball a little further forward which Mignolet gratefully collected.  Mignolet pulled off a brilliant full stretch save from a Fernandinho shot.

City kept on the upward curve in the second-half pressing Liverpool further back with the brilliant David Silva dictating play and with James Milner coming on for Jesus Navas City were more compact and powerful with Fernandinho moving further forward.  It was Fernandinho and Milner linking up to play in David Silva in the 57^th minute which brought City back in the game.

It was now a dominant City and with Silva again at the forefront, prompting and teasing and interchanging with Nasri before his cross was deflected in off Johnson and disappointingly past the wrong footed and flailing right leg of Mignolet.    Brendan Rodgers looked to stem the flow bringing on Allen for the injured Sturridge and City looking to go for the jugular brought on the returning Aguero for Dzeko.

The huge intake of breath around Anfield was probably the reason, apart from his lack of inches, that Silva failed to steer his sliding shot from Aguero’s pass.

Joe Allen quality and calmness helped provide the footing needed to push on again and his surged into the area on a couple of occasions almost linking up with Suarez.

Coutinho who with Sterling was a class apart, latched on to Kompany’s sliced clearance with a spectacular shot in which he virtually wrapped his foot around the ball to execute.  It was a finish which deserved to be the winner of a breathless and brilliant game.

Philippe Coutinho celebrates his stunning winner

Jordan Henderson dismissal may not have stopped us winning the game, but it’s a big blow to lose one of our the players of the season for three games and Victor Moses who complained earlier in the season about his lack of playing time, may just have to play a crucial role going forward although he won’t be available against is parent club, Chelsea.

Man of the Match:  Liverpool Football Club and football.  The 25^th anniversary was done with all the class which LFC is renowned for throughout the footballing world.  The way in which the minutes silence in all the other games was adhered too and embraced says it all about the 96 and their families. YNWA

Special moment: The Gerrard generated huddle at the end in which he said "Listen, this is gone.  We go to Norwich.  Exactly the same.  We go together.  Come on!"

Teams:

Liverpool: 22 Mignolet, 2 Johnson, 38 Flanagan, 8 Gerrard, 37 Skrtel, 17 Sakho, 10 Sakho, 10 Coutinho (Moses – 89 mins), 14 Henderson s/o 15 Sturridge (Allen – 66 mins), Sterling (Lucas – 95 mins), 7 Suarez

Substitutes: 1 Jones, 4 Kolo Touré, 5 Agger, 9 Iago Aspas, 12 Moses, 21 Lucas, 24 Allen

Manchester City: 1 Hart, 5 Zabaleta, 22 Clichy, 25 Fernandinho, 4 Kompany, 26 Demichelis, 15 Jesus Navas (Milner 50-mins), 42 Yaya Touré (Javi Garcia – 19 mins), 10 Dzeko (Aguero – 68 mins), 21 Silva, 8 Nasri

Substitutes: 6 Lescott, 7 Milner, 9 Negredo, 13 Kolarov, 14 Javi Garcia, 16 Aguero, 30 Pantilimon

Referee: Mark Clattenburg

Attendance: 44,601