Manchester City 3 – 2 Liverpool – League Cup Man of the Match
Thiago Alcantara
Far from a master class, this game became about stemming the City onslaught in the first half. With a midfield so overwhelmed and lacking experience, you only wanted the Spaniard on the ball.
The first half became about damage limitation and getting some form of possession to stem the tide. The moments of good play in the first half all filtered through our number six, and he would have been far happier to see the half time introductions. Despite the stumble which eventually led to the Riyad Mahrez goal, his defensive work was very good, his on-ball play was all about control, and he was the centre of all that was effective.
To see Naby available and take some minutes as the controller could be key, and Thiago’s withdrawal was all about keeping this world class midfielder fit for the coming games.
