Man City vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Riyad Mahrez wastes huge late chance
Manchester City 2-2 Liverpool: Follow the reaction from a thrilling draw in the Premier League as the leaders stay ahead in the title race
Manchester City and Liverpool shared the points in a thrilling draw at the Etihad as the visitors equalised twice to keep the title race alive, despite the Premier League leaders maintaining their slender advantage.
It was City who struck first in a lightening start as Kevin De Bruyne skipped past Fabinho and fired a deflected effort past goalkeeper Alisson inside five minutes, but the Reds responded well and Diogo Jota pulled them level less than 10 minutes later.
Gabriel Jesus, a surprise inclusion in Pep Guardiola’s team, fired the hosts back in front before the break as he latched onto the end of Joao Cancelo’s excellent delivery. Liverpool hit back again, though, as Sadio Mane finished Mohamed Salah’s brilliant pass to equalise just 47 seconds after the restart.
Liverpool were much improved after the break but were handed a lifeline when Raheem Sterling’s goal was disallowed by VAR for offside, before Salah saw a curling effort deflect wide. Riyad Mahrez hit the post with a late free kick, before wasting a huge chance as the breathless contest ended level.
Follow all the reaction and updates as Manchester City and Liverpool shared the points in this potential Premier League decider:
Manchester City vs Liverpool
Manchester City have won eight of their last nine home league matches, with the exception a 3-2 defeat by Tottenham on 19th February.
City have conceded a league-low one headed goal in the Premier League this season and Pep Guardiola’s side have kept 18 top-flight clean sheets in the current campaign, a figure matched only by Liverpool.
Showdown with Man City not a title decider, insists Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists beating Manchester City will not guarantee them success in the Premier League despite Sunday’s meeting being billed as a title decider.
His side will arrive at the Etihad Stadium knowing an 11th successive league win would put them two points ahead of their rivals, a small but significant advantage at this stage of the season.
But as there is no room for manoeuvre or the slightest error Klopp knows the race will be far from over, especially as his side have the harder-looking run in, with matches against Everton and Manchester United to come before the end of the month.
The morale-boosting 3-1 Champions League quarter-final first leg win over Benfica has allowed them to put one foot in the Champions League semi-finals.
It means they make the short trip down the M62 brimming with confidence as they attempt to get their first league victory at the Etihad since 2015, although they have won there once since in a European tie.
Showdown with Man City not a title decider, insists Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp
An 11th successive league win would put the Reds two points ahead of their rivals.
John Stones says City-Liverpool clash is ‘important’ but title not resting on it
John Stones admits a lot rests on Manchester City’s clash with title rivals Liverpool on Sunday but does not see it as a decider for the Premier League crown.
The City defender intends to cut himself off from the hype surrounding the eagerly-anticipated clash because he already knows just how important it is.
Full attention now turns to that game after City took care of business in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday by grinding out a hard-fought 1-0 win.
Champions City lead Liverpool, who have won their last 10 Premier League games, by just one point heading into the meeting at the Etihad Stadium.
John Stones says City-Liverpool clash is ‘important’ but title not resting on it
Champions City lead Liverpool by just one point heading into the meeting at the Etihad Stadium
Manchester City vs Liverpool
Pep Guardiola makes three changes to the Man City team that started against Atletico Madrid during the week. Kyle Walker comes in to replace Nathan Ake with Phil Foden and Gabriel Jesus earnign starts ahead of Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez.
Jurgen Klopp also makes three changes to his Liverpool team. Ibrahima Konate is replaced with Joel Matip in defence whilst Jordan Henderson slots back into the midfield instead of Naby Keita. Up top Diogo Jota is preferred to start alongside Mo Salah and Sadio Mane with Luis Diaz dropping out.
Manchester City vs Liverpool: Line-ups
Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodri, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Foden, Sterling, Jesus
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Thiago, Henderson, Salah, Jota, Mane
‘I’m so happy at Manchester City I could stay at the club forever’ says Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola has claimed he is so happy at Manchester City he could stay at the club “forever”.
The Spaniard’s current contract at the Etihad Stadium runs until the end of next season.
The 51-year-old has twice agreed fresh terms since taking charge in 2016 and has now indicated that he might be willing to do so again.
Guardiola dropped the hint as he responded to reports claiming that Brazil want him to take over as their national team manager after this year’s World Cup.
“Not today, come on,” he said when asked about the Brazil speculation at a press conference. “I’m under contract here, I am so happy here.”
Pep Guardiola: I’m so happy at Manchester City I could stay at the club forever
The Spaniard’s current contract at the Etihad Stadium runs until the end of next season
Manchester City vs Liverpool
Liverpool are winless in four Premier League games against Manchester City with two games ending in draws and two in defeat for Jurgen Klopp’s men.
The Merseysiders have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last 11 league matches at Etihad Stadium.
This will be the 23rd competitive game between sides managed by Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola. Each man has recorded eight victories, with six draws (including fixtures settled by a penalty shootout).
Manchester City vs Liverpool
Both teams have arrived at the Eithad Stadium and will soon be out for the warm-ups. The team news is going to drop in around 15 minutes time.
Jurgen Klopp will rely on Mohamed Salah’s big-game experience for Liverpool against Man City
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is relying on Mohamed Salah’s big-game experience to carry him through Sunday’s top-of-the-table encounter with Manchester City.
The Egypt international has not scored from open play since February 19 and his last couple of performances, at home to Watford and away at Benfica on Tuesday, have been well below the standard expected of the 28-goal forward.
Salah, who has experienced heartbreak at international level by losing the Africa Cup of Nations final and a World Cup play-off – both to Senegal – in the last two months, has looked like a player whose 47 appearances for club and country this season are catching up with him.
Were he not who he is, with the record he has in the Premier League for the club, there would be considerable doubt over his place in Sunday’s team as he is arguably the least in-form of Klopp’s five forwards.
However, dropping him against City is almost unthinkable because of the message it would send out before kick-off.
Jurgen Klopp will rely on Mohamed Salah’s big-game experience against Man City
The Egypt international forward has failed to score from open play since February 1
Manchester City vs Liverpool
The official team news is due out in about 20 minutes time before kick off at 4:30pm. Who’s going to start today?
Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden or Jack Grealish on the left for City? Luis Diaz in the Liverpool forward line with Sadio Mane through the middle? Joel Matip or Ibrahima Konate at the back?
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments