Liverpool’s early burst made it possible for them to beat the reigning champions Machester City yesterday.
The clash everybody anxiously waited to see ended 3-1 in L’pool’s favor, with the hosts scoring goals following highly suspicious situations.
The referee Michael Oliver is no doubt the No.1 enemy for City’s fans right now, as his controversial decisions allowed the Reds to gain a 2-0 lead.
At first, it appeared that Alexander-Arnold handballed in his box, but Oliver didn’t call for a penalty. Liverpool made a furious counter, which ended with Fabinho’s fabulous strike from some 25 yards. Claudio Bravo couldn’t stop the rocket the Brazilian sent, and it was 1-0 for the hosts after six minutes.
The second goal came when Robertson sent a perfect cross to Salah, who scored with a header from some 8 yards. It was also a questionable goal, as Salah might have been offside in the moment of Robertson’s pass. Yet again, Oliver didn’t change the initial call.
“Ask Mike Riley and the big bosses about that. Don’t ask me. Ask Mike Riley and his people. I’m here to talk about the game. Every time I’m being asked why one day it’s handball, the next day it’s not,” said frustrated Guardiola to the reporters.
City continued to attack, but there weren’t many chances for the guests to decrease the lead. Aguero had one, and Angelinho an even better, but the result stayed the same at the halftime. Meanwhile, the Reds were waiting a chance for the counter-attack and were slowing down the pace on the field, knowing that they hold everything in their hands.
The second half began in the same manner, with City trying to find a gap in Liverpool’s defense. While they did so, the home team scored the third goal. Jordan Henderson sent a long cross to the far post of Bravo’s net, where Sadio Mane acrobatically headed the ball across the goal line. There was no way back now for the champs.
“The boys put another incredible shift in. Then you need to score goals in the right moment, and obviously, that’s what we did. All three goals were incredible,” said Jurgen Klopp.
Until the end of the match, Bernardo Silva managed to cut the gap to 3-1 with 12 minutes left. The Citizens gave all they had to do something more, but it didn’t get them any result.
Right now, Liverpool is first in the standings with 34 points in 12 matches, with 11 wins and only one draw against Manchester United at the Old Trafford, 1-1. So far, Klopp’s machinery is more than confident, and according to many, they will take the title, regardless that there is a long way to go. They have nine points more than City, and eight than Chelsea and Leicester in the second place.
“First mistake would be to look at the gap. For us it’s irrelevant. For us, it’s about keep winning, keep the momentum going,” said the German manager.
Up next, Liverpool meets Crystal Palace on the road, while City hosts Chelsea.
