Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City: 4 key battles that decided the game

#4 Jurgen Klopp vs Pep Guardiola

A win for Klopp's heavy-metal football

Of course, in a big game like this, the manager's tactics are going to play a very big part - and it is safe to say that Jurgen Klopp won this battle hands down.

Guardiola's decision to not include Raheem Sterling in the starting-XI will come under huge scrutiny and rightly so - Gundogan just doesn't have the pace to trouble defences and Kevin De Bruyne is much more effective playing in the central midfield than further up front.

Another major concern for Guardiola is his inability to adapt - when plan A backfired against a 'gegenpressing' Liverpool, there was no plan B.

To be fair, it has worked well for them but against a team that is prone to attack, they should have set up differently - how Jose Mourinho's Manchester United nullified Liverpool a few weeks back is a testament to this approach.

Note: It is unfair to point out just 3 Liverpool players because every single one of them was exceptional in this game. Full credit to the manager and the team for one of the finest displays of attacking football in recent times.