On thursday, Manchester City ended Liverpool’s 20-game unbeaten run to throw the title race wide open in an intense Premier League encounter on Thursday.
Goals from Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane ensured defending champion City cut Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table to just four points with a deserved 2-1 win.
Jurgen Klopp’s side traveled to the Etihad Stadium on the hunt for its first league title in 29 years but found it difficult to settle into the game.
They found themselves a goal down at half-time after Aguero scored a world-class opener — the Argentine has now scored in all seven of his home league appearances against Liverpool.
A Roberto Firmino equalizer in the second-half had given the visitors hope but Sane’s shot rebounded off the post to put Pep Guardiola’s side back in front and up to second in the league.
Sergio Aguero has now scored in all seven of his home league appearances against Liverpool.
“A very, very intense game,” Klopp told BBC Sport. “It’s not easy to take but it is normal. We had chances, they had their moments.
“Two teams had to fight like crazy to stay in the game. I liked a lot of our game, both sides could play better but we didn’t let each other. That’s tactical football.
“We lost, it doesn’t feel really good but it is not a massive thing, this is our most difficult game of the season.”
It was a game that Guardiola said his side could not lose and the magnitude of the match was not lost on the players, with both teams playing at a frantic pace.
Dejan Lovren set the tone with a heavy challenge on Aguero early on and Vincent Kompany was perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch after a dangerous first-half lunge on Mohamed Salah.
Things could have been very different had Sadio Mane converted an earlier chance for the visitors though.
The forward sparked panic in the host’s defense after his shot rebounded off the post and almost crept back in after hitting City goalkeeper Ederson.
CREDIT: BBC
