Manchester Metropolis suffered a 0-2 defeat towards Liverpool on the Etihad Stadium over the weekend to fall 20 factors behind the guests within the Premier League desk.
The 2 sides have locked horns in memorable conferences over the previous couple of years, producing basic shows. Nevertheless, Pep Guardiola’s facet had been miles behind the Arne Slot-led workforce when the 2 met on Sunday afternoon.
Regardless of dominating possession, the hosts couldn’t hassle Liverpool, who discovered two targets within the first-half by Mo Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai. Omar Marmoush managed to search out the again of the web however was caught offside to cancel out the hassle.
Metropolis began the match nicely, however assaults didn’t pose a real menace to Alisson. The Liverpool goalkeeper calmly handled the Blues’ set-pieces on just a few events when Marmoush’s corners weren’t struck out by the primary man in defence.
Quite the opposite, the guests bagged their first aim by a well-worked set-piece from the coaching floor. Alexis Mac Allister’s low nook met Szoboszlai, who flicked it in direction of Mo Salah, and the Egyptian directed towards the aim tricking Ederson by way of a deflection.
Metropolis managed to fend off different assaults whereas Marmoush and Phil Foden noticed pictures comfortably denied by Alisson. Liverpool doubled their lead near the top of the first-half, with Salah accumulating the ball and discovering a well beyond the Blues with ease and laying it off to Szoboszlai, unmarked contained in the field.
The hosts amped up their assaults within the second-half however couldn’t make something out of them. Their opponents once more discovered the again of the web by Curtis Jones, but it surely was dominated out after VAR deemed Szoboszlai offside within the build-up.
Jeremy Doku and Savinho did nicely on the wings however couldn’t discover assist from these within the centre, ultimately being pressured again. An extended effort in direction of Phil Foden additionally didn’t assist, who was marked by Virgil Van Dijk all through. Marmoush’s pictures pressured Alisson into motion, however he had a comparatively snug night as Liverpool noticed out the sport with a clear sheet.
That marked the eighth defeat for Metropolis within the Premier League this season, however they retained fourth place after the weekend’s video games. The Blues are stage on factors with Newcastle and solely some extent forward of Bournemouth and Chelsea, who’re within the sixth and seventh respectively.
Pep Guardiola’s workforce will likely be again in motion towards Tottenham in a vital assembly on Wednesday night time because the race to the top-four intensifies. However earlier than that, we have a look at 5 Issues We Realized from Manchester Metropolis’s 0-2 loss towards Liverpool within the Premier League!
Abdukodir Khusanov stays spectacular
In what was arguably the most important constructive from Manchester Metropolis’s loss towards Liverpool, Abdukodir Khusanov placed on a splendid show within the defence. Dealing with one of the crucial ruthless assaults within the Premier League this season, Khusanov’s duties primarily concerned manning the final line of defence alongside Nathan Ake, primarily when Josko Gvardiol and Rico Lewis drifted into the midfield in the course of the build-up.
His positional consciousness was commendable, and the promptness mirrored fairly nicely in restoration runs, which prevented his facet from conceding two extra targets. This got here days after his spectacular efficiency towards Vinicius Jr throughout Man Metropolis’s Champions League conflict towards Actual Madrid within the midweek. If something, Khusanov’s response was sensible after his debut sport, which was extensively labeled as a “nightmare” after his mistake within the match towards Chelsea.
The very best and worst of Jeremy Doku
The Man Metropolis winger ran the present towards Liverpool, relentlessly constructing assaults on the flank. He did nicely towards Trent Alexander-Arnold, turning the Liverpool defender inside out on a number of events. At occasions, Mohammed Salah needed to fall again and contribute to the defence to include Doku’s pertaining menace on his facet. He dribbled previous Trent 12 occasions from fifteen take-ons, the second-highest quantity recorded within the Premier League over twenty years.
That mentioned, there have been deserved questions on his finish product. Whereas Jeremy Doku had essentially the most dribbles for any participant on the pitch, he struggled to make one thing come off it in entrance of the aim. This isn’t the primary time a great efficiency from the Belgian has been beneath scrutiny as a result of lack of a compelling play within the remaining third. However he may have had an help or two to his title if others in a Metropolis shirt capitalised on the probabilities he created.
Phil Foden shocks with kind
Pep Guardiola fielded an attacking workforce with Phil Foden as false-nine. This isn’t the primary time England Worldwide has donned that position up entrance, but it surely accounted for one among his most disappointing performances within the Premier League. Foden is nicely off his kind from final season and has struggled to create an affect with the ball at his ft over the previous couple of months. It didn’t assist that the 5’ 7’’ footballer couldn’t discover a solution to win aerial duels towards 6’4’’ Virgil Van Dijk, who can be one of many strongest defenders within the Premier League.
The few occasions he did handle to get the ball, Foden shockingly failed to provide something that might assist his facet. When Manchester Metropolis noticed its greatest gamers go previous their prime, many anticipated him to step up and tackle duty on the pitch to drive the assault. Sadly, that didn’t occur, and it additional stresses the significance of Erling Haaland on the pitch, who was unavailable for the sport towards Liverpool owing to his current damage.
Foden has additionally performed a number of roles this season throughout the wings and midfield. Maybe Pep Guardiola may have had him change roles with Omar Marmoush within the sport. It could have benefitted each gamers on the night time, which basically noticed them pressured right into a negligible presence towards a resilient Liverpool defence.
Defensive errors made it too simple
Man Metropolis’s defensive woes have been obvious all season. The outcome was unsurprising, particularly when a frail backline confronted an in-form Mo Salah at his greatest. The Egyptian scored a aim by way of a deflection after which assisted one other to seal the three factors for the desk leaders on the Etihad Stadium. Thankfully, a 3rd gal was dominated out for offside, additional stressing The Blues’ new behavior of forging their distress.
Liverpool’s first aim got here from a well-rehearsed set-piece routine, throughout which Rico Lewis was seen marking Virgil Van Dijk. There was an enormous mismatch of their physicality, which simply bent issues in favour of the Liverpool defender. Josko Gvardiol, who has had a greater season than most in a Metropolis shirt, as soon as once more bore the punishment for not controlling his tempo proper earlier than tackles. Ruben Dias additionally struggled along with his decision-making on the again.
And lastly, Ederson – regardless of making crucial saves – noticed Salah and Sozosblai simply rating previous him. The outline above may virtually match nearly each Metropolis loss since November, with just a few names modified. The Blues momentarily noticed their attacking prowess return in December and mid-January, however its extreme lack in the previous couple of weeks has as soon as once more added to the stress on their failing defence.
The battle between Metropolis’s possession and attacking perils
Though Man Metropolis couldn’t keep away from a predictable defeat, they confirmed progress in comparison with their current outings. The workforce did higher to regulate possession, with gamers wanting higher on the ball. Nevertheless, it isn’t sufficient for the workforce in the meanwhile as they chase a Champions League qualification this season.
Regardless of sowing a greater composure whereas controlling the ball, Metropolis struggled to make an affect all through the afternoon as a result of their lack of creativity. The shortage of creativeness was significantly regarding with Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden’s presence on the pitch. Most of Metropolis’s efforts got here by Doku and Savinho, however the wingers couldn’t affect the sport as a lot as they’d have favored.
Pep Guardiola has repeatedly centered on the necessity for a rebuild this summer season, which might see the facet’s a number of massive names exit. Accidents have worsened issues for the getting older squad, and hopefully, the membership has higher plans to usher in recent legs that may take advantage of Metropolis’s typical possession-centric philosophy on the pitch.