Liverpool vs
Manchester City Match Report
Another stunning Philippe Coutinho strike settles the game
as Liverpool inch to only two points off the top four.
The reigning champions underperformed at Anfield and the
Reds repeated what they did last season and defeated Manchester City at home.
Liverpool will feel they deserved to win despite the fact
they played in Turkey on Thursday giving City an extra 48 hours of preparation time.
Liverpool had an early chance through Adam Lallana. Coutinho
slipped him through and he made his way past the defenders but his shot was
straight at City goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Lallana did have the ball in the net moments later. A
Philippe Coutinho shot was blocked but he picked up the ball again near the
corner flag and fizzed the ball towards Lallana who did very well to control
the ball and lift it into the roof of the net from a tight angle. He was
however ruled to be just offside.
A goal did come when Coutinho dispossessed City captain
Vincent Kompany after his miss kick. The Brazilian carried the ball forward
before laying the ball off to Sterling. Sterling passed the ball to Reds
captain Jordan Henderson who made himself some space on the edge of the box and
curled the ball into the top corner.
City nearly equalised through Sergio Aguero. David Silva
chipped the ball forward to the on running Aguero. He ran ahead of the defence
and was in on goal but his cross goal shot hit the post.
City did equalise on 25 minutes. Silva picked up the ball in
the Liverpool half and slipped the ball into Aguero. On the edge of the box he
knocked the ball through to Edin Dzeko who slotted the ball home for his 50th
premier league goal.
Liverpool should have retaken the lead after Adam Lallana
was played through by Lazar Markovic. The Serb chipped the ball over City
centre back Mangala but Lallana blazed the ball wide.
Early in the second half City could’ve taken the lead from a
Pablo Zabaleta cross. Unfortuantely for them Aguero headed over.
Adam Lallana had the ball in the net again but was ruled out
for offside once again. Allen won a free kick near the corner of the box and
Coutinho played the ball in towards Skrtel. The Slovakian defender headed the
ball across the Lallana who put the ball in the net but was ruled offside.
On 75 minutes Liverpool took the lead. From the edge of the
box Coutinho picked up the ball, shimmied past Samir Nasri and curled the ball
away from Joe Hart into the far corner of the net. It was another fantastic
strike from the young Brazilian who is on top form at the moment.
Sergio Aguero nearly equalised for City. The ball fell to
him in the box and after some exert control he got his shot away. However the
ball flashed across the face of goal and went wide.
Substitute Daniel Sturridge could have wrapped up the points
for the Reds against his former club after Henderson nicked the ball off Yaya
Toure. Sturridge though shot wide but City could not capitalise and Liverpool
took the three points.
Man City remain five points off Chelsea who have a game in
hand and you would think it would be the end of their title ambitions for this
year. Liverpool meanwhile moved ahead of Southampton into fifth and are only
two points off fourth placed Manchester United.
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