Erling Haaland provided the first-half lead for the defending champions, City, at the Etihad Stadium, becoming the quickest player to reach 50 goals in the league. However, Liverpool capitalized on an opportunity when Haaland missed a close-range chance in the 79th minute. The visitors promptly launched an attack, and Alexander-Arnold sent a shot past City goalkeeper Ederson.
In the 80th minute, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s goal secured a 1-1 draw for Liverpool against league leaders Manchester City on Saturday, leaving Jurgen Klopp’s team just one point behind in the closely contested Premier League title race.
Pep Guardiola wasn’t happy with Darwin Nunez at full-time as Man City vs Liverpool ended in a 1-1 draw 👀 pic.twitter.com/T0VxgGWtor
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) November 25, 2023
The draw concluded an impressive 23-game winning streak at the Etihad Stadium in all competitions for Pep Guardiola’s City, who top the table with 29 points after 13 games. Liverpool closely trails with 28 points.
Arsenal has the opportunity to claim the top spot if they secure a victory against Brentford later in the day.
Haaland initiated the scoring with a low shot from the edge of the box in the 27th minute. A miscalculated clearance by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson was intercepted by Nathan Ake, who set up Haaland. Despite Alisson managing to touch the shot, Haaland turned and fired into the bottom corner, reaching the milestone of 50 goals in 48 games. This achievement broke the record held by former Manchester United and Newcastle striker Andy Cole, who reached 50 goals in 65 games.
In the executive seats, Haaland’s father, the former City player Alf-Inge, enthusiastically celebrated with a double fist pump.
On the field, Haaland was embraced by his teammates in blue shirts after giving the home side the advantage against a team anticipated to be a significant title contender this season. However, he later regretted his missed opportunity to score in the second half, and City suffered consequences as Liverpool took advantage.
With twenty minutes remaining, Alisson narrowly avoided another mishap when he mishandled a corner under minimal pressure from Manuel Akanji, allowing Ruben Dias to tap in.
Despite a VAR check, the referee’s on-field decision to award the Liverpool goalkeeper a soft free-kick stood. Klopp made substitutions, bringing in Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, and Ryan Gravenberch, aiming to spark a response.
Diaz’s father, brought to England by Liverpool for the Christmas season after a kidnapping ordeal in his native Colombia, witnessed his son’s contribution to Liverpool’s equalizer, against the run of play, ten minutes from time.
Diaz found Salah, who then set up Alexander-Arnold for a splendid finish into the bottom corner.
City pressed for a winner during eight minutes of added time but were thwarted, marking their first failure to win at home since December 31 last year.
Alexander-Arnold emphasized the significance of securing a point away for Liverpool, particularly considering their fifth-place finish in the previous year.
“We haven’t had many favorable results here in general. It’s a point gained,” Alexander-Arnold conveyed to Sky Sports.
While acknowledging that the team’s performance wasn’t exceptional, he highlighted the positive aspects and underscored that they had opportunities to secure the victory.
Liverpool’s manager, Klopp, regarded the result as positive for his team, especially in a challenging venue.
“It’s not a coincidence that they win so many home games. It’s a place where you have to be prepared to suffer. The quality they possess, the fluidity they exhibit, they really know exactly who is going where. We are still in a process, but I believe if we had played exceptionally well today, we could have won. We didn’t – we played OK.”
City’s manager, Guardiola, expressed contentment with the performance, irrespective of the final result. “Excellent performance. Against a top, incredible team – the way we played was excellent,” Guardiola conveyed to Sky Sports.
He commended the team’s effectiveness in various aspects, from the defense to the build-up with the goalkeeper. Guardiola highlighted the limited shots on target conceded, emphasizing the team’s robust defensive work.
“We know the quality Erling has; it was a really good finish. He had the header as well. It was an excellent performance. I’m so pleased. After many years that we still perform and run that way – there is so much to be proud of.”
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