JURGEN KLOPP claims Liverpool “cannot compete” with state-owned clubs like Manchester City – but Mo Salah proved him wrong with a late Anfield winner.
Pep Guardiola’s champions suffered their first defeat in 21 Premier League matches and surrendered a four-point deficit to Arsenal at the top of the table after their own Phil Foden ‘opener’ was ruled out by VAR.
Salah, who netted the fastest hat-trick in Champions League history in the midweek demolition of Rangers, netted a cool breakaway goal from an assist by keeper Alisson, as the Reds put a miserable start to their league campaign behind them.
Just minutes before Salah’s strike, fourth official Andy Madley had incorrectly put up Salah’s No 11, when Klopp was making a double substitution.
Salah looked agog until Klopp told him it had been an error – and the Egyptian was soon netting his first Premier League goal since August, having missed an earlier one-on-one opportunity.
Guardiola had been fuming after Foden’s effort, early in the second half, was correctly ruled out for a shirt-tug by Erling Haaland on Fabinho.
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And Klopp was sent off late on by ref Anthony Taylor after Bernardo Silva tangled with Salah and tempers boiled over.
City have not won at Anfield, in front of a crowd, for 19 years and even though they arrived on Merseyside 13 points clear of their perennial title rivals, they deserved this victory.
Klopp had claimed Liverpool “could not compete” with City’s finances but he probably never doubted that they were still capable of defeating them in a one-off match.
The Anfield boss had dropped his captain Jordan Henderson and employed the 36-year-old James Milner at right-back with Trent Alexander-Arnold only fit enough to start on the bench.
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Mark Halsey says…
Former Premier League Mark Halsey spoke to SunSport about the controversy surrounding Phil Foden’s disallowed goal.
He said: “I was surprised that Phil Foden’s goal was ruled out.
“Particularly given other challenges that were let go by Anthony Taylor.
“Referee Taylor’s tolerance was sky-high during the Anfield clash, but you want consistency.
“In real time, you could not see a foul by Erling Haaland on Fabinho in the build-up.
“But a slo-mo replay on a pitchside monitor showed Taylor that Haaland had pulled Fabinho’s shirt.
“Was it enough to make Fabinho go down? I am not sure — Fabinho let go straight away.
“Jurgen Klopp was rightly sent off for running down the touchline and screaming at the assistant referee. You cannot behave like that.”
City did not look like themselves early on – not wearing sky blue for no apparent reason, and showing signs of edginess in and out of possession.
Liverpool were far more like their old selves, the classic Klopp high-energy, high-tempo high-pressing unit.
Salah was menacing, clearly fancying himself against Nathan Ake at left-back.
Scoring chances were scarce – Ilkay Gundogan had a shot comfortably saved by Allison and Diogo Jota headed straight at Ederson after a chipped cross from Harvey Elliott.
Then Milner, who had made a cracking start, surged forward and saw his cross pushed out by Ederson, with Andy Robertson skying a shot he might easily have scored from.
City were beginning to control possession and Liverpool, as Guardiola had predicted before kick-off, were not averse to punting it long.
Haaland had been lurking ominously, like a dorsal fin in shallow waters, but he narrowly failed to lob Alisson, then headed over from one De Bruyne centre and headed straight at Alisson from another.
It had been a feisty first 45 minutes, ref Anthony Taylor unfussy and helping the game flow, but neither side were able to find an opener.
Five minutes into the second half, Salah was presented with the best opportunity of the match when Roberto Firmino’s through-ball caught City short-staffed at the back.
But after Salah had slipped Ruben Dias and bore down Ederson, he dragged his shot wide of the far post.
It was a big miss and when City went straight up the other end and found the net, it felt even bigger – only for VAR Darren England to spare Liverpool.
Haaland won possession from Fabinho, De Bruyne’s angled pass fed the Norwegian, who beat a diving Alisson to a loose ball, allowing Foden to net with a close-range angled shot, Joe Gomez unable to stop it crossing the line.
But England sent Taylor to his monitor and the goal was ruled out for Haaland’s initial challenge on Fabinho, which included an incriminating tug of the shirt.
Guardiola went berserk on the touchline and the noise and tempo and cranked up to frenzied thrash-metal levels.
With City’s defence stretched, Salah clipped in a cross but Jota sent a free header over.
Haaland, teed up by Gundogan, forced Alisson into a full-stretch stop with a scuffed left-footed effort.
It was breathless now, City controlling possession but Liverpool menacing on the break – Salah shooting wide again from another Firmino pass.
And when they scored, it was as direct as you can get. Alisson collected a City free-kick and picked out Salah with a brilliant pass – the Footballer of the Year kippering Joao Cancelo and lifting his shot over Ederson.
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After that it was even more frantric, Virgil van Dijk’s last-ditch header robbing Haaland of a clear chance.
And then Klopp was sent to the stands for ranting at match officials – one he was surely willing to take for the team.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
