Lots of talk about City’s injuries in the last few weeks and the difference there was that the Reds missed key defenders, whilst the hosts had Fernandinho back to deliver a Man of the Match performance.
Liverpool have played better and worse his season, they’ll walk away rueing a potential Kompany red and the introduction of goal line technology.
Most importantly, they still walk away with a four point lead.
Ratings…
A Lovren special
Alisson (7): Can’t do anything about two excellent finishes, brilliant bit of ‘keeping to deny Aguero from making it 3-1 in the last 10.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (7): Keeps Sane quiet to an extent, not pinning any blame on him for the second. Has to track Aguero as Lovren walks off. Standard. Stunning composure and pass for Robertson to set up the equaliser.
Dejan Lovren (3): Using all my words on this lad. Fucking shite. Sorry for all the lads and ladies out there that Champion his progress but he pulls out 3 of those performances a season minimum and it’s not good enough. Slow for the first goal, goes walkabout for the second after playing Sterling onside and is unlucky not to complete his hat-trick of shite as he conjures the worst attempt at playing Sergio Aguero offside the Argentinian has ever seen. Completes a disasterclass in stoppage time by pinging a straight ball, left footed, to Van Dijk, rather than knocking it to Robertson.
Virgil van Dijk (8): Literally the polar opposite of Lovren. That’s all I can say.
Andy Robertson (6): Let Sterling get the better of him more than he’d have liked. Poor going forward apart from a superbly cushioned assist.
Flat 3, away, again
Jordan Henderson (6): Average. Thought he was okay defensively, made some nice tackles, but a lack of creative passing killed Liverpool in the first half.
Gini Wijnaldum (5): Useless after he gets a yellow card.
James Milner (5): Clearly not fit after three weeks out with injury. Madness that he started.
Firmino goal not enough
Sadio Mané (6): Couple of sharp moments, don’t want to criticise the front three to much as they got nothing off those behind them.
Roberto Firmino (7): Great movement for his goal. Unfortunate that Anthony Taylor blew for a Manchester City free-kick every time he breathed.
Mohamed Salah (7): A menace. That move where Mane hits the post is all about Salah. Beats his man, nice one-two, great weight of pass to Mane. No idea how he doesn’t score from Stones’ clearance.
Subs
Fabinho (7): Changed the game when he came on. Everything we didn’t have in midfield beforehand. Unfortunately not enough.
Xherdan Shaqiri (6): I wanted Keita.
Daniel Sturridge (N/A): I wanted Keita.
Lovren and Henderson are the weak point in this team… I will keep criticizing Henderson especially (call me whatever you want, but I want the best for the team) He is not industrious, waste the ball movement too much and expands the central back and causing the two full backs who have already overlapped due to the central back expansion (cos Henderson dropping, makes it look like a back 3)…not to be able to track back ontime…. That was how we conceded the second goal and most goals we conceds when Henderson plays
Henderson is not a starter let alone the leader or captain of this team. Everytime I watch him play I get frustrated. It’s laughable that our captain follows the ball everywhere it goes like the most juvenile of players instead of getting in position to receive and pass it off . Sad that the genius that is Mr. Klopp can’t figure this or the fact that Fabinho is his starter out yet. Puzzling isn’t it????