Manchester City breathe new life into title race with victory over Liverpool

The Premier League title race has taken yet another twist as Manchester City beat Liverpool in a thrilling clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola’s men breathed new life into their title defence with a 2-1 win, which cuts Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table to just four points.

The match was light on goalmouth action but heavy on drama and tension.

In truth, Manchester City deserved the win and apart from a five minute period after Liverpool equalised, they dominated the match as they largely stifled Liverpool’s dangerous front three.

The Reds did think they’d taken a first half lead when Sadio Mane hit the post and caused chaos in the City box, but John Stones cleared the ball off the line with just 11 millimetres to spare.

AS IT HAPPENED: Manchester City 2 Liverpool 1

READ MORE: Aguero scores seventh home goal against Liverpool

READ MORE: Uefa’s chief investigator claims Man City could face Champions League ban

But Aguero made no mistake as he gave Manchester City the lead with a stunning finish from an acute angle in the first half.

Liverpool did finally get their goal when fullbacks Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson combined to find an unmarked Roberto Firmino, who headed home a simple equaliser.

But with the game and perhaps their title defence in the balance, Leroy Sane scored the winner with an unerring finish which hit Alisson’s far post and went across the line.

Tensions threatened to boil over as the final whistle neared with manager Pep Guardiola nearly sent to the stands by referee Anthony Taylor over an incident involving Firmino and Fernandinho.

Guardiola had sprung somewhat of a surprise before kick off, naming an unconventional back four of Danilo, John Stones, Vincent Kompany and Aymeric Laporte.

But in a febrile atmosphere it was Liverpool who made an unsettled start as Mane and Alisson both put the ball out straight of play in the opening stages.

READ MORE: Klopp baffled Kompany escaped red for Salah lunge

READ MORE: Kompany hails Manchester City performance

Man City were pressing Liverpool high and penning the Reds deep in their own territory, attempting to strangle their dangerous three of any ball.

But despite the frenetic opening, it took more than 15 minutes for either side to fashion a genuine chance, and it came in extraordinary fashion.

Wonderful linkup play between Mohamed Salah and Firmino sent Mane through on goal, he beat the onrushing Ederson but his shot came off the post and rebounded back into play.

Stones attempted to clear the loose ball but only succeeded in kicking it into his own keeper. The ball bounced back towards goal and with Salah bearing down, the City defender atoned for his error by clearing the ball off the line with 11 millimetres to spare.

After that scare, City dominated possession and although they looked dangerous out wide they hadn’t mustered a genuine chance until Aguero gave them the lead in the shadow of halftime.

Leroy Sane burned past Alexander-Arnold, Alisson clawed his initial shot out but with Liverpool unable to clear their lines Man City kept pressing.

Bernardo Silva took his turn skipping down the left and from the byline dug out a cross. Aguero reacted quicker than Lovren and from an impossible angle on the edge of the six yard box, smashed an unstoppable shot past Alisson.

It was Aguero’s seventh goal at home against Liverpool.

The expected response from the Reds didn’t come as Guardiola’s side continued to boss proceedings, but they couldn’t come up with a killer blow.

And with Jurgen Klopp’s frustration on the sidelines growing Liverpool equalised through a rare moment of attacking fluency.

Alexander-Arnold’s raking long pass found Robertson in a pocket of space at the far post and the fullback found Firmino all alone and able to nod into an empty net.

As it stood, Liverpool were staying seven points clear but Man City hit back through Sane.

Lovren played Raheem Sterling onside and the winger was able to get in behind the Liverpool defence. He found Sane on the edge of the box and the winger wasted no time in hitting his shot against the inside of the far post and in.

Liverpool attempted to muster a response and Salah forced a good save from Ederson as the Reds created several half chances to put Man City’s defence under pressure.

Aguero then had a chance to put the game to bed but was brilliantly denied one-on-one by Alisson. The Reds’ keeper then denied Bernardo Silva from close-range before Sterling put his follow up shot wide.

In the end, the misses didn’t matter as Man City moved back up into second place and closed the gap on their title rivals.