Fabulous Andy Carroll and Liverpool Hammer Manchester City

If I have to use one word to describe this high profile clash at Anfield, I ll use the word ‘pwned’. Or even better, ‘dismantled’ because that was exactly what happened when Manchester City visited Liverpool this Monday night. Liverpool thrashed the City side 3-0 and gained the momentum required for the Premier League run-in, something both the teams were in need of. Andy Carroll, who has been absent from the scoring sheet for long found the perfect place and time to shut his critics up with two very good goals while Dirk Kuyt scored another to sink the Blues side. It was a majestic performance by Liverpool and City were completely undone. Read on to know how the match progressed.

Andy Carroll scored a Brace to return to Form in Style

HOW THE TEAMS LINED UP?

Liverpool : The Reds had a lot of players missing due to injury as Gerrard, Agger, Johnson were all out due to injury. Young John Flanagan got a start in defence and played an impressive full 90 minutes. Liverpool were also boosted by the comeback of Fabio Aurelio. Carroll and Suarez started upfront with Lucas, Spearing in the central midfield roles, with Kuyt and Meireles at the wings.

Manchester City : Boyata, Kompany, Lescott and Kolarov retained their places in the defense, with Barry just in front of them alongside Yaya Toure. Milner got a rare start on the wings ahead of David Silva, who was probably being rested for the FA Cup semi final clash. Johnson was on the other wing, with Tevez and Dzeko up front, with Dzeko being preferred over the temperamental Balotelli.

HOW THE MATCH PROGRESSED?

Despite missing key personnel through injuries, Liverpool looked hungry from the start, and capitalized on the lethargic display Manchester City were putting up. It seemed like City hadn’t taken this match seriously and Carroll was quick to break the deadlock after 12 minutes. Meireles took a long distance shot which was straight at Kompany, and the ricocheted ball went straight to Carroll, who unleashed a shot with such power from 20 yards that Joe Hart in the City goal could do nothing about it. It was very much like the goal Carroll had scored against the Reds for Newcastle earlier this season. As the home side took an early lead, it was only the beginning of a super performance by the striker and his teammates.

Injury rules Carlos Tevez out of the FA Cup Semi Final clash against United

As if being 0-1 down after 13 minutes was not enough damage, City received a huge blow when their skipper and highest goalscorer Carlos Tevez was injured and had to be substituted in the 16th minute. He will also miss the semi final clash against United the next week, thus landing a major punch in City’s push for silverware.

If the first goal for Liverpool was about power, the second was all about placement and cool headedness. A Fabio Aurelio effort was deflected by Vincent Kompany and it fell in the path of Dirk Kuyt, who just placed the shot at bottom corner of the goal as Kolarov and Hart could do nothing about it at all. 34 minutes gone and the score was 2-0 to the home team!

Things were looking bad for City and just a minute later, they got worse. Dedryck Boyata lost the ball deep in his own half, a costly mistake which Raul Meireles was soon to pounce upon , putting in an inch perfect cross from the left flank to the center of the penalty area, where Carroll got the better of his marker, got his head to the ball and sent it looping into the net. 3-0 at the half and the game was sealed unless City came out with something miraculous.

And they didn’t. The second half was more defensive. City got their best chance at goal when Yaya Toure had a shot at goal from 35 yards, forcing a fine save from Reina. Carroll came close to getting his third, when his header just looped over the bar in the closing minutes as his partnership with Suarez blossomed brilliantly, with the duo getting the better of the City defense easily. City’s strength from the wings wasn’t allowed to come into the match by Kuyt, Spearing and Lucas were brilliant in midfield, thwarting the City attack completely.

All in all, a very well deserved victory for Liverpool and a night to forget for City. This is something which Liverpool have been doing extremely well this season: Getting points against the big sides like Manchester United, City, Chelsea etc, while failing to win against the mid table teams. If they get this syndrome sorted out, they will be a formidable side next season.

As for Manchester City, the Liverpool match proved once again that they struggle against the big sides, something not expected from a team which has had millions invested in terms of personnel. Mancini needs to change his tactics. The race for a Champions League spot just got hotter, and an exciting finish is in store for the EPL fans, with the battle of relegation and the battle of the top spot still on too. This has been one of the closest EPL seasons ever, lets see how it ends.