Liverpool 1 – 1 Manchester City PL Player Ratings

Liverpool vs Manchester City: Premier League Player Ratings

Epic Clash at Anfield Ends in Stalemate

The season’s biggest game took part on Mothering Sunday, as the two most elite teams in the Premier League faced off in front of an expectant Anfield crowd. The match was of the highest order, and the result could prove decisive in who wins the title.

Goalkeeper and Defense Hold the Fort

Caoimhin Kelleher – 7.0
The 25-year-old Irishman has been in super form in the place of Alisson Becker; therefore, his continuing success is much needed today. In the initial stages of this game, the deputy keeper was required to deal with a low drive as the visitors started brightly. The first goal came midway through that opening half as a well-worked corner found its scorer, John Stones, free at the near post. The remainder of the opening 45 minutes was quiet for the stand-in keeper, as much that came his way was tame and quickly dealt with. At 1-1, the calm stopper produced a wonderful close-range save and was prominent until the final whistle.

Joe Gomez – 6.0
The England international defender was brought in to shackle Phil Foden as Andy Robertson transitioned to a backup role. As the starting left back, the 26-year-old was keen to be physical and controlled with his work against the England wide man, therefore, much of his work was of the defensive variety in a solid enough first half performance. He lost Foden after the equalizer and had to realign his concentration. He switched right back when Andy Robertson came into the game, where he looked more comfortable.

Conor Bradley – 7.0
The young Northern Irishman is solidifying himself as a natural first-team option and deservedly started in the place of injured Trent Alexander Arnold. After a frantic start, the 20-year-old nearly opened the scoring with a brilliant flashing effort across Ederson. The first half was a continuing endeavour of attacking intent, where many good openings came through the academy graduate. The second-half goal came about in part due to his keen press.
Subbed – 60 mins

Jarell Quansah – 8.0
The England under-21 international defender started this game as one of the breakout players of this Liverpool season in the place of the injured Ibrahima Konaté. After the worries surrounding his inclusion in the starting lineup, the 6ft 3inch defender silenced all with a competent and confident showing, where he dealt with all problems. Despite the one-goal deficit, his positional play and decision-making were on point in that first half. It would be in the second half that his first mistake came about, given the desire of his skipper to maintain possession of the ball. It was an excellent performance overall, especially given the world-class opposition.

Virgil van Dijk – 9.0
The captain and leader of this team remain vital to further success as the most imposing defender in the world of football. After a vocal and commanding period following the opening whistle, the 32-year-old was alert to stop an advancing Foden. His battle with Erling Haaland was enthralling in the first half, and his physicality stopped the giant Norwegian from increasing his side’s lead. The second half saw the giant defender overthinking his play a little, as a square ball to his defensive partner created a brilliant opportunity from 1-1. The final flurry was a brilliant showing of his ability and strength as he dominated his back line.

Alexis Mac Allister – 9.0
As Liverpool’s most influential midfielder, the Argentina World Cup winner is hitting absolute heights. Therefore, his role as team controller was prominent to the Reds regarding ball play patterns. The former Brighton player was alert early on as he looked to overthrow a world-class adversary. His use of the ball was often too conservative as he became embroiled in a tactical battle to control the ball. The second half showed a clinical representation of penalty taking, as he scored early to level the scores. From the moment the Reds were level, the signing of the summer dominated the game and allowed his entire team to flourish as he strode the pitch with authority.
Man of the match

Wataru Endō – 8.0
The Japan international captain has been in superb form since his arrival back from the Asia Cup, with his no-nonsense style continuing to suit the more talented entities around him. As a fast start engulfed Anfield, the former Bundesliga enforcer was immediately aggressive and keen to break up play. His role was to cover space and cut out passing lanes, which he achieved through a very fast-paced second half.

https://twitter.com/anfieldindex/status/1766885509488374008

Dominik Szoboszlai – 6.0
The Hungarian skipper returned to the starting line-up just in time to face off against the Reds’ most competitive rivals. Liverpool’s opening period of this titanic encounter was a sporadic showing of what could have been, as the eager asset spurned several good openings before leaving the field early. He is back, yet it will take time for him to get back in his usual groove.
Subbed – 60 mins

Luis Díaz – 7.0
The Colombian flyer started this game with clear instructions to stay wide and stretch the city’s backline. As the end-to-end battle for possession invaded Merseyside, the former Porto man was unlucky not to level the scores after shooting just wide of the near post. The second half saw a couple of brilliant chances not taken as his pace and movement were a continual thorn in the Guardiola side. His trickery and guile were evident as he caused continued problems for his beleaguered markers.

Darwin Núñez – 7.0
The Uruguayan Raging Bull always started this game as the Premier League’s most unpredictable striker. Beginning as the spear of the Liverpool attack, the former Benfica man’s first real contribution was to slide into the Man City post, causing the entire support to hold its breath. Amidst five first half off sides, it was essentially a frustrating opening half where he was involved, however, the final moment was always missing. In the second half, the urgency of the centre forward was vital in winning the penalty, which was converted to level the game.
Subbed – 75 mins

Harvey Elliott – 7.0
The England under-21 star has been a mainstay in the team lately, and his inclusion pointed to the faith his manager had in him. The opening gambit saw the former Fulham winger give up a good chance, as his cross-field ball fell well short of its target. Some overplay and indecision were always likely as the youngster attempted to impact the first half. After the break, he seemed far happier when he eventually dropped into the middle three as the Egyptian King entered the arena.

Subs;

Mohamed Salah – 7.0 (on 60)
He came on to add brilliance from the moment he graced the pitch. His positional play and creation were on point, and he helped to increase the screw that was turned on the visitors.

Andy Robertson – 7.0 (on 60)
He came on to offer energy and drive, which saw a brilliant cross nearly angled in by Darwin.

Cody Gakpo – 5.0 (on 75)
Came on to try and offer something different.

The Manager;
Jürgen Klopp – 7.0
The German manager went with his strongest possible eleven, given that Mohamed Salah was probably only cleared to play thirty minutes. The inclusion of Joe Gomez pointed to a desire to nullify Phil Foden’s threat and the fact that the England man has been the Reds’ best left-back this season.

After an eventful first 45 minutes, the manager was reluctant to make a half-time change despite the 0-1 scoreline. It would be in the 50th minute that Alexi Mac Allister would level and shake the entire contest into bedlam. The first set of substitutions was tremendous timing as the tired legs of Dominik Szoboszlai were rightly repacked by Mohamed Salah. Conor Bradley departed for the great Scot Andy Robertson, which rejuvenated the full-back areas.

The final change was Cody Gakpo, which seemed more about preserving his starting number nine than anything else.

A late penalty shout, as shown in the caption, could have made for the perfect moment to win the game.