After the tragic events in Paris on Friday 13 2015 which left so many dead and injured as with all Premier League games the French National anthem La Marseillaise was played and sung with both teams intermingled as one in an emotionally charged atmosphere.
After his acrimonious departure from Anfield, Raheem Sterling faced Liverpool for the first time. James Miner was also facing his former team for the first time.
The order of the day could only have been smash ‘n’ grab with Jurgen Klopp choosing to start Christian Bentenke on the bench alongside Daniel Sturridge returning to the match day squad.
The performance wasn’t just about counter-attacking reactive football because make no mistake Liverpool were proactive. Very proactive.
From the onset, Liverpool were on the front foot pressing high up the field, shutting down space and pressuring City’s midfield which consisted of Yaya Toure and Fernando. The industry of Can, Lucas and Milner was matched by the work rate of flair players Coutinho, Firmino and Lallana until now not renowned for their work going backwards.
Seven minutes in and Liverpool took a deserved a lead.
The effervescent Coutinho stole the ball from Sagna before making his way to the edge of the box before releasing fellow Brazilian Firmino heading for the by-line whose ball back across the near post was unfortunately for Mangala turned into his goal.
In normal circumstances the expectation would have been for City to hit back, but this was a Liverpool side full of verve, running down every ball and not giving City, especially Yaya Toure any rest bite. Liverpool pressure saw Milner taking a pot shot from 20 yards which he fired over.
It wouldn’t be long before Liverpool extended their lead. The goal may have been born out City’s ineptitude, but ended with a sweeping flourish that was the signature of their play up to that point.
Firmino nipped in between Mangala and Demichelis before playing a stunning reverse ball into the path of the onrushing Coutinho to steer home under Hart. The goal was devastating in its simplicity and said everything about the almost telepathic understating between the two Brazilians.
Liverpool were simply irresistible.
The front three weren’t just working hard they were creative, inventive and flourishing against a City side who looked punch drunk.
The third goal came and went in the blink of an eye. Lallana fed the ball into Coutinho who passed to Can moving away from the area. The German produced a sensational back heel to send Coutinho in behind Sagna and instead of shooting popped a pass off to the nearby Firmino to roll the ball into an unguarded net.
Liverpool were so good it was carnage.
Over the next few minutes Liverpool could so easily have been five up. Mangala and Fernando made a mess of possession which emanated in Firmino being sent through one on one with Hart only to see his shot blocked by the England keeper. Lallana gliding down the left found Coutinho who controlled beautifully before flicking the ball over Mangala to the arriving Firmino to control and hit a left-footed shot across himself and just wide of the far post. In a game which had already seen some great moves leading to goals that would have been the crowning moment.
Liverpool were made to pay for the moments of profligacy when over confidence, with half-time beckoning presented Aguero with a half chance which his took in fantastic fashion, fantastically curling his shot into the corner of the net leaving Mignolet floundering.
In attempting to stem the tide in midfield City brought on Fernandinho and Delph to replace Navas and surprisingly Toure, respectively.
The changes made a difference with a lot less space in midfield for the first fifteen minutes of the second-half which saw City with a lot more of the ball without any real penetration.
It was Liverpool who had the real goal threat. On the hour Kolarov and Mangala lost the ball to the impressive Emre Can probably enjoying his most dominant performance as a midfielder in a red shirt. He picked out Firmino with a slide rule pass for yet another one on one only with the same result as Hart blocked the shot with his leg.
Liverpool had the ball in the net when Firmino breezed effortlessly by the City backline before finding Coutinho who rounded Hart before slotting home, but unfortunately he had strayed offside.
The only way back for City was through a Liverpool mistake and James Milner, having his best game for Liverpool presented them with the opportunity. His back pass was picked off by Sterling who found Aguero. The Argentine side stepped past one defender before seeing his curling shot clawed out of the air by Mignolet.
That was to be Aguero final action in the match with Pelligrini looking to protect his star performer with the player only just returning from a hamstring injury. His substitution ended the City threat.
Worryingly, Liverpool lost Coutinho after the ‘little maestro’ pulled up sharply clutching his leg in what looked liked a hamstring injury which Klopp will be hope is not to serious with his no10 in sparkling form.
Hart again saved Man City in a one on one situation after Benteke was put through by Ibe.
The game was ended as a contest from the resulting corner as Skrtel smashed home an imperious volley as the ball dropped from Benteke’s challenge with Mangala.
Man of the Match: Roberto Firmino – Involved in Liverpool’s first three goals either creating or finishing. His reverse pass for Coutinho’s goal was stunning and he seemed to be on the same wavelength as country man with Adam Lallana seemingly tuning into the same band width.
He led the line with fortitude and gusto and is showing just how good a fit Firmino is. In truth it could just have easily been Philippe Coutinho who was at his imperious best.
It was a brilliant performance by Liverpool aided by an energetic pressing game and the realisation by Jurgen Klopp that Liverpool had to contain the Man City midfield and get beyond a Kompany less backline which they did repeatedly.
Special word for Emre Can who strode the midfield in colossal fashion and whose delicious back heel helped set up the third goal.
Teams:
Man City: 1 Joe Hart, 3 Bacary Sagna, 26 Martin Demichelis, 20 Eliaquim Mangala, 11 Alexandar Kolarov, 42 Yaya Toure (45 mins – Fernandinho), 6 Fernando, 15 Jesus Navas (45 mins – Fabian Delph), 17 Kevin De Bruyne, 7 Raheem Sterling, 10 Sergio Aguero (66 mins - Kelechi Iheanacho)
Subs: 5 Pablo Zableta, 13 Willy Caballero, 18 Fabian Delph, 22 Gael Clichy, 25 Fernandinho, 30 Nicolas Otamendi, 72, Kelechi Iheanacho)
Liverpool: 22 Simon Mignolet, 2 Nathaniel Clyne, 37 Martin Skrtel, 6 Dejan Lovren, 18 Alberto Moreno, 7 James Milner, 21 Lucas Leiva, 23 Emre Can, 20 Adam Lallana (89 mins – Kolo Toure), 11 Roberto Firmino (77 mins – Christian Benteke), 10 Philippe Coutinho ( 68 mins - Jordan Ibe)
Subs: 4 Kolo Toure, 9 Christian Benteke, 15 Daniel Sturridge, 24 Joe Allen, 33 Jordan Ibe, 34 Adam Bogdan, 56 Connor Randall
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Attendance: 54,444
What a fantastic team performance - LFC under Klopp now have more away wins versus top four oppostion in six weeks than we had in three years under Rodgers - you could sense the team was confident beforehand and they took that confidence into this game - excellent performances by Firmino, Coutinho and Lallana - with excellent backing up by Can and Lucas. Also pleased that Lovren had a good performance in place of the injured Sakho. Only real criticism was the fact that we should have had at least another two or three goals to show a true reflection of our dominance. We now look very threatening away from home we now need to address our home form and we are then in real business. Great win.
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