- Liverpool Halts Man City’s 23-Game Home Win Streak
Liverpool ended Manchester City’s 23-match winning streak at the Etihad in a highly anticipated clash between the Premier League’s top two, concluding in a 1-1 draw on Saturday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s superb strike, coming 10 minutes from time, rescued a point for the visitors following Erling Haaland’s 50th Premier League goal that had initially given City the lead.
The draw leaves only a one-point gap between the teams, and with Arsenal having the opportunity to claim the top spot from City by winning at Brentford later on Saturday.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expressed his dissatisfaction with the early kick-off time, especially after an international break where players from both teams had participated in World Cup qualifying matches in South America just a little over 72 hours ago.
Fatigue played a pivotal role as the anticipated excitement failed to unfold. City capitalized on sloppy Liverpool passes from the back, with the best chances emerging before halftime.
Alisson Becker, having escaped earlier with a weak shot from Phil Foden, found himself less fortunate when his sliced clearance reached Nathan Ake. The Dutch defender advanced, delivering a precise pass to Haaland, whose low shot found the far corner, with Alisson managing to get a hand on it.
This goal marked Haaland’s 50th in the Premier League, achieved in just 48 appearances, surpassing Andy Cole’s previous record of 65 matches for the quickest half-century.
Alisson partially redeemed himself by deflecting Foden’s low drive from outside the box, steering it away from the bottom corner. On the offensive, Darwin Nunez posed as Liverpool’s primary threat, while Mohamed Salah couldn’t capitalize on his impressive record against City. Ederson denied Nunez’s first-half header and made a crucial save at his near post after the break.
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Despite Liverpool’s efforts, City looked more likely to extend their lead in the second half, particularly with Jeremy Doku’s pace causing problems on the counter. Doku set up Julian Alvarez with a glorious chance, but the Argentine couldn’t convert. Alisson received another reprieve when he spilled a corner under minimal pressure, allowing Ruben Dias to tap home. A VAR check upheld the referee’s on-field decision to award a soft free-kick to the Liverpool goalkeeper.
Seeking a response, Klopp turned to his bench, introducing Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, and Ryan Gravenberch. Diaz, whose father was flown to England by Liverpool after a kidnap ordeal in Colombia, played a crucial role in Liverpool’s equalizer. He found Salah, who set up Alexander-Arnold for a fantastic finish into the bottom corner, leveling the score against the run of play.
Despite City’s efforts to secure a winner in eight minutes of added time, they were thwarted, marking their first home draw since December 31 last year.
