EPL 2017/18: Manchester City 5-0 Liverpool, 5 Talking Points

Heavyweights Manchester City and Liverpool met for the early kickoff game after the international break in what turned out to be a scarcely believable match. The Citizens ran out 5-0 victors over the Reds who had demolished Arsenal prior to the international break.

Argentine superstar Sergio Aguero scored the first for City which incidentally also took him past Dwight Yorke as the leading non-European Premier League goalscorer of all time before Liverpool’s Sadio Mane was sent off for a reckless challenge on City keeper Ederson. Manchester City capitalised on the numerical advantage to put themselves two in front before halftime with Aguero’s strike partner Gabriel Jesus getting on the scoresheet this time.

Jurgen Klopp brought in new signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on for Salah at half time which proved to be ineffective. Aguero and Jesus combined soon after for City’s third goal and the Brazilian’s second. Leroy Sane replaced Jesus around the 57th minute and then went on to score the fourth and the fifth for the men in blue, the latter in particular, a stunning curler from outside the area.

While City fans will be over the moon with joy at this ruthless display from their players, Liverpool supporters will be scratching their heads in disbelief at just how much can go wrong in the space of merely two weeks. Here’s a look at the top five talking points from the match.

#5 Aguero and Jesus shine

Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus finally seem to be clicking together

A lot has been made about Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus’s apparent inability to play with each other with each having been left out of the starting eleven a bunch of times while the other has received the nod. The simple fact of the matter is that these are two individual proven goal scorers who will deliver for you more often than not.

Of course, every coach would like to have a stable and blossoming strike partnership in their arsenal to start every single game with and City have so far not been able to get that with Aguero and Jesus.

Today though, the two South American international rivals teamed up in scintillating fashion, scoring three out of City’s five goals between them, their best moment coming when the two tore down the middle to score the third goal and finally break Liverpool backs. If this display is anything to go by, Pep may have just found the last piece of the City jigsaw that he so desperately needs.

#4 Liverpool substitutions baffle

The decision to bring on Oxlade Chamberlain for Mo Salah was surprising, to say the least

Up until Sadio Mane’s unfortunate straight red, this was one match that seemed to be going absolutely neck to neck even though City had drawn first blood. The Reds looked to be completely up for the challenge with their agile wingers once again wreaking havoc in the opposition box. Two of City’s defensive players had already seen yellow and keeper Ederson had been forced into at least one fine save.

As it were, even with Mane gone, Mo Salah seemed to be the man most capable of producing an opening for Liverpool. Hence, when Jurgen Klopp decided to bring on new signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on for Salah in the second half, it seemed surprising and rather far-fetched.

It wasn’t surprising however that Ox could do little of note in his 45 minutes on the pitch although it does seem a little harsh to already start incriminating him given the circumstances under which he came on today.

Liverpool’s two other substitutions were James Milner for Gini Wijnaldum and Dominic Solanke for Roberto Firmino. While the Milner substitution is still understandable given that it was a like for like substitution, bringing on Solanke when you have a goal loving player like Sturridge on the bench and that too for another offensive player when you are already 3-0 down and playing with five at the back again desires a lot to be explained.

#3 How important is Coutinho going to be for Liverpool now?

With Sadio Mane facing suspension, will Liverpool have to turn to Phillipe Coutinho once again?

The Phillipe Coutinho saga finally seems to be over but he is yet to represent the Reds this season. Before this match, Jurgen Klopp came out and said that Countiho still needs some time before he is back to his best.

It is almost certain that Sadio Mane is going to face an elongated spell on the sidelines for his challenge on Ederson; the only variable is for how long. This makes it almost unquestionable that Coutinho will be named in the Liverpool squad for next week’s clash against Burnley.

After looking ever so good in the 4-0 decimation of Arsenal, is the Liverpool attack once again going to have to turn to its little Brazilian talisman from the previous season? Only time will tell.

#2 How good were City actually and how much should be read into this defeat for Liverpool?

Liverpool were obliterated by a ruthless Manchester City after a red card to Sadio Mane.

The scoreline for the match does indeed read 5-0 but does it indeed represent everything that transpired down there on the pitch? For the first 35 minutes of the game, even the most ardent supporters of the two teams would agree that the match was extremely evenly poised with a nice ebb and flow to the proceedings.

One red card to a key player and the equation was thrown entirely off balance. City made the numerical advantage count in the ruthless way that only the most prize fighters can. If they continue in the same vein, one can see them quite realistically challenging for the title come May of next year.

Liverpool, on the other hand, deflated the same way a balloon or a tyre would with one little pin prick. Granted the loss of your best player so far this season is no mere pin prick, the much vaunted Liverpool attack and midfield would have been expected to at least show a semblance of a fight.

Today was the opportunity for somebody other than Sadio Mane to stand out and unfortunately, whether it be for Klopp’s tactics in the second half or some other reason, this team which works so well together when everybody is fit and fine seemed to collapse like a massive yet poorly put together Jenga tower.

Liverpool better learn how to adapt to adversity fast or no matter how good they are in an ideal situation, this season could well turn out to be similar to all their seasons for the last 27 years; without the league trophy in their cabinet.

#1 Mane’s Red Card

Sadio Mane's red card: Was the correct decision made?

Sadio Mane has so far been Liverpool’s go to man this season and it was the same way today until all of a sudden, it was not. 37 odd minutes into the half, the Senegalese was deep into the Manchester City half chasing a long ball over the heads of the City defence when instead of the football, the Liverpool forward’s right boot caught City’s Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson flush on the chin.

Referee John Moss reached right into his pocket and produced the dreaded right pocket. Now the referee here clearly followed the current footballing precedent which would dictate a straight red to Mane for dangerous play.

However, here’s the problem with it: both Mane and Ederson went for the ball; both had their eyes entirely on the ball until the very end. Mane could sense an opening for a possible goal, his team at the moment trailing by a goal to nil and hence his reaching for the ball seemed justified.

It was clear that there was absolutely no malicious intent in Sadio Mane’s challenge. It is also true, however, that he got the player rather than the ball and that Ederson at that moment didn’t seem as if he came off too well from the challenge. According to the current footballing law, it is a straight red but whether it should be one morally is entirely up for debate.

Note: Early into the second half it was announced that Ederson is fine except for a few cuts which was welcome news.