They met each other previously in the Bundesliga, but this wasn’t any ordinary fixture as Pep Guardiola and Manchester City moved to Anfield to face his familiar foe, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, a side proving to be real title contenders for the Premier League title.
The game started off well for the Reds, as they pressed high up the pitch and got an early goal through Georginio Wijnaldum, who struck a powerful header into the back of the net. The visitors produced a spirited performance in the second half, but it was just not sufficient as Liverpool’s single goal lead was enough to see them bag all three points, denting a huge blow to Manchester City’s title ambitions.
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Liverpool
Simon Mignolet – 7/10
The Belgian showed he has the ability to cope in pressure situations and thwarted a one-on-one with Aguero. The Belgian shot stopper had a decent outing, keeping a clean sheet in a big game and giving Loris Karius much to worry about.
Nathaniel Clyne - 8/10
The best among the Liverpool backline, Clyne displayed a complete performance. Contributing to the offence in the first half with some neat and tidy defending and in the second half, he succeeded in keeping David Silva quiet.
Dejan Lovren - 7/10
A no-nonsense display from the Croat centre-half, Lovren put up a sturdy showing against one of the best offensive sides. Good in the air, he ensured that balls in the box was cleared.
Ragnar Klavan - 6.5/10
Klavan got booked early on for a challenge on Aguero and was troubled by Raheem Sterling with his movement and pace. He was much more focused and kept things tight at the back as the game progressed.
James Milner - 7/10
Milner put on a fabulous showing against his former team, bombing up and down the flanks. Raheem Sterling tried to get away from him using his trickery and pace, but the Liverpool left back made it look easy and kept the former Liverpool man at bay.
Emre Can - 7.5/10
Can was drafted into the starting eleven to add strength to the midfield and he did just that, putting his physicality to use whenever needed and providing support in the build-up play. He played a much more defensive role after Henderson was brought off after half time.
Jordan Henderson – 8/10
Henderson anchored the midfield, showing absolute composure and dominance. The Liverpool captain threaded some very good passes and was also instrumental in breaking up play before being subbed off at the hour mark.
Georginio Wijnaldum - 8.5/10
With the visitors enjoying a chunk of possession the Dutchman never allowed Yaya Toure to breathe, pressing up high and committing to challenges. His moment of the match came in the eighth minute, scoring a bullet header which proved to be the ultimate difference.
Sadio Mane – 7/10
Mane tried to get past the Manchester City backline with his incisiveness but was not as influential as he can be. The Senegalese international will be a big miss to his side as he now heads to the AFCON 2017.
Roberto Firmino - 6/10
Not his best display in front of goal, the Brazilian worked hard and did the dirty work but the end product was devoid of any quality. Certainly, a night to forget that included some bad touches, being dispossessed and some dicey ball controlling.
Adam Lallana – 9/10
The Englishman delivered a pin-point cross to Wijnaldum for the winner and pounced on the opposition defence with his high pressing. The Englishman even moved to midfield after Henderson’s departure and did not disappoint. His contributions to the team has shown how much of a key figure he is. A Man of the match performance!
Substitutes:
Divock Origi – 6.5/10
Introduced at a time when City kept the ball, he pressed the City defence and didn’t give them time to breathe
Lucas Leiva – N/A
Failed to have any significant impact on the game.
Manchester City
Claudio Bravo - 5/10
The Chilean had a nervy outing between the sticks, being easily beaten by Wijnaldum for the header. Apart from that, he looked unconvincing at times, particularly with aerial deliveries.
Pablo Zabaleta - 4.5/10
A stable outing at the back, Zabaleta failed to close in on Lallana which resulted in the early opener and proved to be too costly in the end. The Argentine also struggled at tracking back whenever Liverpool broke on the counter attack.
John Stones - 6/10
After limping off on Boxing Day, the youngster looked stable with the ball and tried to build attacks from the back which eventually failed to bear any fruit. Didn’t look comfortable dealing with the Liverpool front line although he wasn’t error prone.
Nicolas Otamendi - 5/10
Performed physically better than his other centre-back pairing but there were many instances when the opposition got the better of him
Aleksandar Kolarov - 3/10
The Manchester City left-back was responsible for Wijnaldum’s opener, as the Serbian reacted too slowly in what proved to be the big difference in the end. He was not his usual best as he could not play a part in stopping Liverpool’s attacks and did not offer much of a threat further up the field.
Fernandinho – 4.5/10
The Brazilian was absent in the first half as Liverpool’s composure in midfield proved to be too good for him. He put up a spirited performance in the second half but failed to offer anything despite enjoying possession.
Yaya Toure - 5/10
His side had never lost a game whenever he started, but it was the home side that won the midfield battle, presenting the Ivorian very little opportunity to produce something significant. He tried to contribute in the build-up play but was nowhere near his best.
Raheem Sterling – 5/10
Sterling would not have appreciated the cold welcome from the home fans, as he tried to get things going with his sharpness and speed down the right flank. The former Liverpool player struggled to make any impact on the night as Milner got the better of him.
Kevin De Bruyne – 5.5/10
While he might be going from strength to strength in his recent performances and topping the assists charts, the Belgian had a relatively quiet game.
David Silva – 6/10
Silva took up a deeper role in the first half but had much more impact in the second when he threaded some clinical passes in the final third of the pitch. Kept hold of the ball in an attempt to penetrate the Liverpool defence, but failed to find any sort of space.
Sergio Aguero - 3.5/10
Guardiola might have succeeded playing different players up front in place of the Argentine during his recent suspension, but a lot was expected from him in this crucial title challenge. Though he wasn’t offered the best of assistance, he neither seemed to cause any sort of threat.
Substitutes
Jesus Navas – 5/10
Came late on and did not have an impact on the game
Kelechi Iheanacho – N/A
Failed to make any significant impact on the game.
