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Liverpool and Man City prove they are the Premier League's true heavyweights
Much has been made of the quality at the top-end of the Premier League this season, and with good reason.
Indeed, it is unparalleled in recent times with Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United all targeting the title with just two points between the four rivals after seven rounds of fixtures.
However, only Liverpool and Manchester City could have produced the sort of spectacle witnessed at Anfield on Sunday.
Chelsea and United might be at their strongest for a number of years, but the 2-2 draw between the teams who have shared the last four titles between them demonstrated why they are so special, and why this remains English football’s defining rivalry of the current era.
Teams come alive with fans back at Anfield
Played in a frenzied Anfield atmosphere, this fixture swung one way and then the other. Just as it seemed City had a grip of things, Liverpool responded. City did the same, equalising twice.
The quality of play was clear throughout. When mistakes were made, they were a consequence of the opposition’s success - see City’s high press towards the end of the first half.
City might feel they did enough to win. They could have been in control by half-time had they converted one of their many goalscoring opportunities.
The match appeared set up for the defending champions to put down another marker in this season’s title race after last week’s impressive win at Stamford Bridge.
Mohamed Salah made sure this didn’t happen.
Star man Salah continues fine form
Salah was subdued for much of the match, kept quiet by Joao Cancelo, until all of a sudden the Egyptian shifted gears midway through the second half.
His sensational dribble and finish to put Liverpool 2-1 ahead, which came not long after a brilliant assist for Sadio Mane’s opener, demonstrated why the 29-year-old is considered among Europe’s very best right now, with Salah netting eight times in his last seven Liverpool appearances.
His contribution was noted in the 11 duels he won (more than anyone else), the nine touches he had in the opposition box (more than anyone else) and the five take-ons he completed (more than anyone else).
Nobody in a Liverpool shirt had more shots (three), created more big chances (two) or made more tackles (four).
If Salah is now being heralded as the best in the world, it’s because his statistics frequently point to this.
Alexander-Arnold absence keenly felt
Foden reached a similarly high level in his performance, scoring one and assisting another just as Salah did.
Deployed on the left wing rather than through the middle, as was the case against Chelsea last week, the England international’s direct dribbling and pace exposed James Milner throughout.
Liverpool’s deficiency at right-back had a big bearing on their performance. It hindered them in a defensive sense, giving Manchester City a weak point to hit time and time again.
Their game plan was to frequently pull Liverpool over to the right side before quickly switching play to leave Milner in a one-on-one situation. It worked well - City’s two goals came from this source. But this weakness also prevented Liverpool from attacking with their usual vigour and drive down that wing.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (missing through injury) may have his own defensive vulnerabilities, but he would have been advanced enough that Foden likely would have been pushed back to help out Cancelo.
Who is now favourite to win the Premier League title?
This was a match that provided few answers.
We still don’t know which team is the frontrunner in this season’s Premier League title race nor do we know if City’s lack of a true number nine will hinder them or if Virgil van Dijk’s return to fitness has settled down Liverpool’s defence (they have conceded double the goals Chelsea and City have after seven fixtures).
It did, however, underline the history City and Liverpool have together. These are two teams that have gone toe-to-toe for the last four seasons.
There is baggage to this fixture that gives it the same sort of weight that Arsenal-Manchester United fixtures had in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger set the zeitgeist.
Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have that standing right now even if Thomas Tuchel has disrupted the duopoly somewhat. Chelsea might well finish top of the pile in the Premier League this season. United could overcome their recent wobbles to blow away the competition.
When it comes to head-to-head combat, though, City and Liverpool are on a different level to everyone else.
