Manchester City 1-4 Liverpool: 5 Talking Points

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool thrashed Manchester City 4-1 at the Etihad with goals from Roberto Firminho, Philippe Coutinho, Martin Skrtel and an own goal from Eliaquim Mangala. Liverpool’s strong tactical organization and counter-pressing saw them get the better of Manuel Pellegrini’s side in their own den.The defeat leaves City in third place while Liverpool continue their resurgence by jumping up to ninth in the Premier League table. Here are the five major talking points from this thrilling encounter.

#1 Samba magicians mesmerize at the Etihad

Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino turned the clock back for the fans of Brazilian football as they simply bamboozled the Manchester City defense with their exceptional link up play. The Brazilian duo was simply unstoppable as they tore City’s defence apart without breaking a sweat.

Firmino particularly impressed a lot, especially after a torrid first three months in English football. The former Hoffenheim man was relentless in his approach and also was unplayable with his silky passing. He has given his season a new lease of life with this incredible performance.

Coutinho, on the other hand, continued his rich run of form as he took Manchester City to the cleaners with his impeccable vision and some creative passing. The sense of patience to play a pass instead of blindly trying the spectacular was the highlight of his game. The measured approach in his game gave him a new dimension altogether and this turned the tide for both him and Liverpool.

If not for Joe Hart, both these players could have had hat-tricks of their own. It only speaks volumes about the level of their performance at the Etihad.

#2 Sergio Aguero returns but can\'t save the day

Sergio Aguero made his return to competitive football after almost a month in the crunch tie against Liverpool. The Argentine poacher looked lively but was unable to prevent his side from a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Anfield side.

City’s woeful midfield and defensive organization rendered the threat posed by Aguero absolutely useless. Despite this, the 27-year-old was light years ahead of his teammates and always looked like the one who could threaten Liverpool.

And he did give Citizens a lifeline into the match by scoring an absolute peach of a goal from far outside the box minutes before half-time. In spite of his rustiness, Aguero still managed to give the Reds’ defence a run for their money. The former Atletico man lacked support from his teammates and this was evident from his frustration at the lack of service from midfield.

#3 Klopp\'s Liverpool is taking shape

Liverpool haven’t looked convincing since the departure of Luis Suarez, who inspired the 2013/14 side and gave Manchester City a run for their money in the title race. Brendan Rodgers’ lackadaisical sides over the past year-and-a-half only made the Kop faithful cringe.

Jurgen Klopp’s appointment brought a renewed vigour amongst both fans and players alike, but the effects of this appointment are clearly visible now. Klopp’s team made a statement by mauling an underwhelming Chelsea side by defeating them 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.

But the performance at the Etihad gives everyone a sneak peek into Klopp’s Liverpool. The relentless pressing of their opponents coupled with blistering counter-attacks and solid defensive shape were a treat to watch. All these attributes prove that slowly and steadily Klopp is leaving his mark on this Liverpool squad and their mentality.

If this is how they intend to carry on with their business, the signs are ominous for their rivals.

#4 Liverpool pressing Manchester City made the difference

Jurgen Klopp’s counter-pressing tactic or Geggenpressen had taken Bundesliga and eventually entire Europe by storm. And now the same tactic is mesmerizing the birthplace of football.

Klopp’s surprise starting XI raised quite a few eyebrows as he chose to bench his star performer in Daniel Sturridge for a misfiring Roberto Firmino in a false 9 set up. And the tactic worked wonders for him as Liverpool’s high-intensity counter-pressing high up the pitch just blew the hosts out of the water. City’s midfield powerhouses had no answer to the intensity of Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Lucas Leiva.

The hosts were hurried for each and every pass they played as the visitors barely gave any respite to their super attacking hosts. And the more City pushed men forward, the more they became vulnerable to the threat of a counter-attack. And finally the inevitable happened as they were hit on the break by Liverpool on quite a few occasions.

Liverpool’s counter-pressing and counter-attacking approach was just too much for Manuel Pellegrini’s free-flowing side.

#5 Manchester City\'s defensive woes continue

Manchester City was one of the meanest defences of the Premier League for the first five gameweeks. Since Vincent Kompany’s absence, City’s defence looks like a fish out of water. It is hard to ignore the fact that City had conceded just a single goal when Kompany was in the starting XI this season.

The match against Liverpool was a prime example of why City missed him so much. City’s defence was all over the place as Liverpool’s pressing and intensity were too hot for them to handle.

Phillipe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino just took Mangala and Demichelis to the cleaners as the City duo was nowhere up to the challenge posed by Liverpool’s attack. Alberto Moreno and James Milner too gave City’s full-backs a torrid time, especially Bacary Sagna. If not for Hart’s heroics, the scoreline would have been even much more embarrassing for the hosts at the end of the 90 minutes.

City’s free-flowing football may seem superlative against weaker oppositions, but its defensive frailties are easily exposed against teams with sound tactical organization, as was the case against Liverpool and Spurs previously.