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Liverpool 1 – 2 Manchester City – Premier League Postmortem

After a week that hinted at revival and momentum, Liverpool were brought sharply back to reality under the Anfield lights. This was not a collapse born of chaos or cowardice, but one of hesitation, poor game management, and a familiar inability to close out matches when the moment demands ruthlessness. Against a Manchester City side no longer at its imperious peak, Liverpool still found a way to lose a game they had finally bent in their favour.

The Starting Eleven

Liverpool XI

• GK – Alisson Becker

• RB – Dominik Szoboszlai

• CB – Ibrahima Konaté

• CB – Virgil van Dijk (c)

• LB – Milos Kerkez

• CM – Alexis Mac Allister

• CM – Ryan Gravenberch

• RW – Mohamed Salah

• AM – Florian Wirtz

• LW – Cody Gakpo

• CF – Hugo Ekitike

Substitutes Used

Curtis Jones → Cody Gakpo (85’)

Federico Chiesa → Milos Kerkez (94’)

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Goals

Liverpool 1–0 Manchester City – Dominik Szoboszlai (Free-kick) – 74’

Liverpool 1–1 Manchester City – Bernardo Silva (Erling Haaland) – 84’

Liverpool 1–2 Manchester City – Erling Haaland (Penalty) – 92’

Red Card:

Dominik Szoboszlai – 90+10’

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Match Statistics

• Possession – Liverpool 47% | Man City 53%

• xG – Liverpool 1.21 | Man City 2.75

• Total Shots – Liverpool 15 | Man City 17

• Shots on Target – Liverpool 4 | Man City 7

• Fouls – Liverpool 13 | Man City 16

• Corners – Liverpool 5 | Man City 4

First Half

The opening half unfolded exactly as expected — City dominating territory and possession, Liverpool compact and reactive. Pep Guardiola’s side looked to overload wide areas and pin Liverpool’s improvised right flank, while the hosts were content to absorb pressure and break when space allowed.

Defensively, Liverpool were largely controlled. Konaté was aggressive and commanding, Van Dijk marshalled the line intelligently, and Szoboszlai showed remarkable discipline at right-back. City created moments, but few clear-cut chances, with Alisson alert when required.

Going forward, Liverpool lacked fluency. Wirtz was often crowded out, Salah isolated, and Ekitike forced to chase lost causes. The plan was clearly to stay alive, stay structured, and grow into the contest — a strategy that worked, but only up to a point.

Second Half

The second half brought belief, urgency, and eventually reward. Liverpool pressed higher, disrupted City’s rhythm, and began to win second balls with greater conviction. Szoboszlai, no longer pinned as deeply, started to step into midfield spaces and dictate moments.

The breakthrough was spectacular. A long-range free-kick, struck with venom and precision, crashed in off the post to give Liverpool a lead. At that moment, Anfield expected control. What followed instead was hesitation.

Rather than consolidating, Liverpool retreated. City sensed it immediately. Bernardo Silva’s equaliser came from a moment of lost concentration, with Liverpool failing to win the first duel or protect the second phase. The pressure mounted, substitutions were delayed, and the game drifted.

The decisive moment arrived in stoppage time. A rash challenge from Alisson gifted City a penalty, which Haaland converted clinically. The late red card for Szoboszlai — harsh and controversial — was a bitter footnote on a night that had already slipped away as the Reds averted a 1-3 scoreline through VAR intervention.

Final Thoughts

This was a performance that deserved more than nothing — and that is precisely why it hurts. Liverpool defended well, competed bravely, and produced a moment of brilliance worthy of winning the match. Yet once again, the inability to manage the final stages proved fatal.

Game control is not just about possession; it is about timing, substitutions, and emotional discipline. Liverpool had City where they wanted them and failed to act decisively. The bench offered little intervention, and the leadership from the touchline felt passive when clarity was needed.

Szoboszlai was outstanding, Konaté powerful, and Van Dijk solid, but football is ruthless. If you do not close games at this level, you are punished.

This defeat does not end Liverpool’s season — but it reinforces the uncomfortable truth that progress remains fragile. Big moments require conviction. Liverpool had the moment and let it go.

Steven Smith’s Pre-Match Prediction:

Liverpool 2 – 1 Manchester City

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