Alexis Mac Allister scored a second-half penalty as Liverpool salvaged a point against Manchester City in a 1-1 Premier League blockbuster at Anfield yesterday that left Arsenal top of the table.
Liverpool are second but level on 64 points alongside Arsenal, with 10 games remaining of a thrilling three-way title race. Holders City, who are unbeaten in 21 games across all competitions, are third on 63. Arsenal climbed top with their 2-1 win against Brentford on Saturday.
After falling behind in the first half, Alexis Mac Allister converted a penalty early in the second as the home team took control of matters against last season’s treble winners, but woeful finishing from the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai proved their undoing.
It was a frenetic start to the game for Jurgen Klopp’s side in the German coach’s final Premier League game against Pep Guardiola. Liverpool found it tough to make combinations high up early on as the City defence doubled up on the forwards.
Goal reports that the Reds grew into the game after the first quarter of an hour, though, utilising the movement of Nunez and Harvey Elliott, finding a way to bring Conor Bradley and Diaz into play from the wings and allowing Szoboszlai to drift forward through the centre.
Klopp’s team needed to come out fighting in the second half and were given a break two minutes in when Nunez pounced on a terrible pass back from Nathan Ake and was clattered into by Ederson, allowing Mac Allister to equalise from the resultant penalty. The injury Ederson suffered in the process prevented City from getting any momentum going and Liverpool stayed dominant throughout the half, but their atrocious finishing haunted them as Nunez and Diaz both scuppered great opportunities.
Despite having 19 shots – 12 in the second half – to City’s 10, the hosts were forced to settle for a draw, leaving them level on points with Arsenal at the top and Guardiola’s team just one behind them, setting all three up for an incredible run-in.
