Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool: 5 things we learned

City maintain their perfect home record, but only just

City maintained their perfect record of nine wins out of nine so far this season, but Liverpool came as close as any team has come to stopping that run. It was a combination of their poor finishing and some contentious decisions by the referee that City managed to walk out from the game with all three points.

Whilst the officials did not put on a “horrendous performance” as Rodgers said, they made a few incorrect calls and all of them were against Liverpool. Whether the wrongly disallowed goal in the first half or the penalty that was not given in the final minute of injury time, the officials certainly played their part in City continuing their perfect run at home.Liverpool pay the penalty for not taking their chances

Although Rodgers was far from happy with the performance of the referee, who was from Greater Manchester, he should have been fuming at his forwards for not taking the chances that were presented to them. Although Sterling’s perfectly good goal was wrongly disallowed for off-side, from then on, it was the profligacy of the Liverpool front men that cost them dear.

Coutinho had great chance in the first half, after a flowing counter attack from Liverpool. But the Brazilian fired straight at Joe Hart. Whilst there were plenty of other occasions, the best of the lot, fell to Sterling, who although was having a great game, couldn’t quite finish at the back post with the goal gaping.

The Reds can’t expect Suárez to bail them out each week and against City, although he didn’t have too many chances, the rest of the team should have buried the game.A tale of two keepers

Coming into the game, it was a tale of two keepers. One, who hadn’t really been ousted from his spot, although he had managed just one clean sheet in his last seven games and another who had been dropped after a string of disappointing performances. After the game, it was clear, as to who came out on top.

Mignolet, barely had any work to do in the entire game and on the occasion that he was called into action with Negredo’s shot in first-half stoppage time, the Belgian was found wanting and ended up costing Liverpool the points. Hart, on the other hand, made several crucial saves from Glen Johnson, Henderson and Coutinho and kept his side in the game for long enough for the attack to take over.

It was the game that brought him back in Pellegrini’s good books and it is onwards and upwards from here on in, for the Englishman.Skrtel is walking a tight rope

There was no doubt that Martin Skrtel was arguably the best defender on the pitch, but if the Slovak isn’t careful, he might not be on it, for very long. Although he put in a defensive display par excellence, throwing his body in the way of shots, intercepting balls and sliding into the tackle when it looked as though all hope was lost, he was still lucky to finish the game.

The Slovak has been getting in a nasty habit of grappling opponents during corners and not looking at the ball for one moment. In this game as well, for the opening goal, he was holding onto Kompany as if his life depended on it and was lucky that the Belgian scored or the centre back might well have conceded a penalty and received his marching orders.

Although he doesn’t always play like this, he has been consistently guilty of doing so and if he doesn’t curb it soon, it might well end up costing Liverpool an awful lot of points.Both teams look brilliant on the counter attack

Whenever either team won the ball and got on the counter, they looked menacing and looked like they might well create a chance every time they went forward. Each time either side counterattacked, it was with pace and precision and gave the opposing defence no time to get their act straight.

Although it was a home game, City looked far more threatening on the counter, when they got the ball from corners and free-kicks. And it was no surprise that the goal that sealed the game, also came from a brilliantly worked counter attack which was either finished expertly by Negredo or saved poorly by Mignolet, depending on how you want to look at it.

Much was said about both team’s attacks coming into the game and they both exhibited an exhibition in counter attacking that made for an enthralling and entertaining match.