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
Jurgen Klopp’s record against Pep Guardiola is the best of any of his contemporaries, winning nine and drawing four of their 22 encounters in the Premier League and previously in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich respectively.
But, Liverpool are winless in four Premier League games against Man City, while City have lost just one of their last 12 top-flight home matches against the Reds.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last 11 Premier League away games against City - since a 0-0 draw in February 2010.
Norwich vs Burnley
Pierre Lees-Melou has given Norwich an early lead in their Premier League game against Burnley. Barely 10 minutes gone at Carrow Road and the Canaries lead 1-0.
Manchester City vs Liverpool
This is Liverpool’s 50th game of the season – they have won 39 of the 49 so far, scoring 119 goals and conceding 34. Away from home the Reds have scored 38 goals this season – the most of any team in the Premier League.
Jürgen Klopp’s men have also kept clean sheets in each of the last three away league fixtures. Not since March 2015 (in a run of six) have they kept four in a row on the road in the top flight.
Premier League talking points: Top two go head-to-head as Blues bid for boost
Leaders Manchester City face a tantalising showdown with title rivals Liverpool in the pick of this weekend’s Premier League fixtures.
Elsewhere, Chelsea will bid to end another turbulent week on a high, while lowly Everton are among a handful of relegation-threatened sides scrapping for points.
Here, we pick out some of the main top-flight talking points.
Premier League talking points: Top two go head-to-head as Blues bid for boost
Leaders Manchester City host second-placed Liverpool in the pick of this weekend’s fixtures
Fans can make the difference says Foden
Phil Foden says Manchester City will get an advantage over Liverpool by playing at home in today’s big game explaining that City’s home record and the reception from the fans spurs on his teammates.
“We’ve only lost once at home in 12 years in the Premier League and that is such a great record to have and we can take confidence from that,” said Foden
“Being a City fan definitely helps. You know what the supporters want. Hopefully I can make them proud on Sunday. All they keep saying is ‘you better win, you better win!’. Hopefully we can get the job done.
“They just want intensity, good attacking football, everyone working hard and we will definitely need them as well on Sunday. From past experiences (in this fixture), our fans have been the loudest fans.
“We definitely need that again. It just gives you a lot of confidence, hearing the crowd behind you. Especially when someone wins a challenge you just hear them and it makes you feel confident.
“I am sure they will be really loud and help us. We have a great record at home and hopefully on Sunday we can keep that up. I am really excited about the game. It is such a big occasion and a massive game as well. I just cannot wait to play.”
Elsewhere in the Premier League
Today isn’t only about the top of the table. There are a couple of mid-table matches taking place as Brentford host West Ham and Leicester take on Crystal Palace.
Those games kick off at 2pm alongside a huge game at the bottom of the table.
Burnley travel to Norwich with the hope of defeating the Canaries and taking a step closer to safety. The Clarets are four points behind Everton (17th) but could cut that to just one with a win over bottom-placed Norwich.
Five famous games between Pep Guardiola’s champions and Jurgen Klopp’s challengers
Title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool meet on Sunday in a huge clash at the top of the Premier League.
Under respective managers Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, the two clubs have been the pre-eminent forces in English football in recent years.
Here, we look at some notable clashes between the sides in the current era:
Five memorable games between Pep Guardiola’s Man City and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool
The two teams go head to head again this weekend
Jurgen Klopp says Pep Guardiola is ‘best coach in the world'
Liverpool boss, Jurgen Klopp, admits he will not be sad to see the back of Pep Guardiola when the Catalan finally retires.
"I will not miss it, I know that," he said. "All I say about City I really mean. Pep is the best coach in the world, no problem with that, but I always wanted to be the coach of the team who can beat the best team in the world.
"Actually I achieved that as well somehow and now we have to make sure Sunday is the day."
Foden to shine for Man City?
Manchester City are boosted by the return of Kyle Walker who served a European suspension in midweek and expect Phil Foden to return to the starting XI after coming of the bench in that game to help City defeat Atletico Madrid 1-0.
Foden scored in the 2-2 drew between these sides at Anfield and has netted in each of his last three Premier League games against Liverpool.
He could become just the second player to score in four straight appearances against the Reds in the competition after Jamie Vardy (five between 2016 and 2017).
Pep Guardiola on seeing City’s 14-point lead cut to one
Pep Guardiola says that Manchester City’s 14-point lead over Liverpool was false due to the fact that his team had played more games than the Reds in January and the opportunity for Jurgen Klopp’s men was always there to catch them.
"I’m going to tell you something: 14 points, it was fake. You were wrong. We played two more games [than Liverpool]," said Guardiola
"It was not a mistake. After analysing the games we dropped points - Crystal Palace, especially Southampton - we were brilliant, more than brilliant. We were not effective, we were not clinical, but we were brilliant.
"Maybe in the final third they [Liverpool] are more ‘wow’, more powerful for the quality of the players, but from what I see there are many things where we are close, we work quite similarly.”
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