Brilliant Liverpool leave Manchester City with mountain to climb after 3-0 first-leg hammering
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Updated 04/04/2018 at 21:36 GMT
Champions League, Anfield – Liverpool 3 (Salah 12, Oxlade-Chamberlain 20, Mane 31) Manchester City 0
Liverpool's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrates scoring their second goal against Manchester City
Image credit: Reuters
A blistering first-half salvo from Liverpool left Manchester City needing a gargantuan second-leg comeback in the second leg of the pair’s Champions League quarter final tie.
Three goals and a clean sheet gave the Reds a commanding lead ahead of next week’s trip to the Etihad Stadium, with Pep Guardiola’s side taken aback and rattled by what they experienced at a rocking Anfield in the opening 45 minutes.
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Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates with Roberto Firmino and Andrew Robertson after scoring their first goal
Image credit: Reuters
Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool the lead after 12 minutes, firing high into the roof of the net after some slack defending by Kyle Walker. The hosts doubled their advantage minutes later, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain lashing a strike into the top corner from distance.
Sadio Mane added a third just after the half-hour mark, heading home a cross from Salah. Liverpool’s lead proved to be unassailable from that point on, but with next week’s second leg in mind the Reds had to defence resolutely in the face of intense City possession in the second period.
But Guardiola’s Premier League pace-setters failed to muster a single shot on target over the course of the full 90 minutes, illustrating just how toothless they were. Given their attacking quality, this tie is still salvageable for City, but they must be much, much better next week.
TALKING POINT - Pep Guardiola got his tactics badly wrong
The Man City manager’s decision to omit Raheem Sterling from his starting lineup was somewhat surprising, with the deployment of Aymeric Laporte on the left side of defence also a gamble. Neither decisions worked out. City lacked drive and energy in the final third, only demonstrating a hint of this once Sterling was introduced off the bench in the second half. By then, though, it was too late, with Liverpool happy to sit deep and absorb the pressure. Guardiola is renowned as a master tactician, but he got his game plan wrong here.
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp
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MAN OF THE MATCH - Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
There were a number of standouts for Liverpool - Salah, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Dejan Lovren, Roberto Firmino, to name a few - but the performance of Trent Alexander-Arnold deserves to be highlighted. This was the night that the 19-year-old matured. Tasked with keeping Leroy Sane quiet, he epitomised Liverpool’s resolute spirit, particularly in the second half when under the cosh. Alexander-Arnold is no longer one for the future, he’s one for the present on the basis of this display.
PLAYER RATINGS
Liverpool - Karius 7, Alexander-Arnold 9, Lovren 8, Van Dijk 8, Robertson 7, Milner 7, Henderson 6, Oxlade-Chamberlain 8, Mane 7, Salah 8, Firmino 7. Subs - Moreno 6, Wijnaldum 6, Solanke 6.
Manchester City - Ederson 5, Walker 4, Kompany 5, Otamendi 5, Laporte 4, Fernandinho 6, Silva 5, De Bruyne 5, Sane 6, Gundogan 5, Jesus 5. Subs - Sterling 6.
KEY MOMENTS
12’ GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City: First blood to Liverpool and it's that man again! Salah played the ball through to Firmino, who was tackled. But the ball fell nicely to Salah who finished high into the roof of the net! Liverpool have the lead!
15’ SANE JUST WIDE! Liverpool win a freekick in a dangerous position, but leave themselves open to the counter. Sane drives forward, Liverpool back off and back off, but the German shoots wide
21’ GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Manchester City: Liverpool have scored a second and what a hit that was! They won the ball high up the pitch, with Oxlade-Chamberlain lashing home a strike from about 25 yards out! Incredible goal from the midfielder!
31’ GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City: They have a third goal! Liverpool are running riot here! Salah swings the ball to the back post where Mane was on hand to head down into the ground and into the back of the net. Incredible! City are being thumped.
52’ SALAH INJURY! This is a worrying sign for Liverpool. The Egyptian looks to have picked up a knock and the hosts might be forced into a change here. It doesn't look good for Salah. He will be replaced.
KEY STATS
- Liverpool are unbeaten at home in European competition since October 2014 (0-3 vs Real Madrid) and have extended their run without defeat to 15 European games at Anfield (W10 D5 L0).
- Manchester City failed to direct a single shot on target in a game for the first time since 26th October 2016 (v Man Utd in the League Cup).
- Pep Guardiola has enjoyed just one win in his last six meetings with Jurgen Klopp in all competitions (D2 L3), with Klopp registering more wins against the Spaniard than any other manager (6).
- Liverpool are the top scoring side in the Champions League this season with 31 goals.
- Indeed, that 31-goal haul is the Reds’ biggest tally ever in a single campaign in the competition.
- 18% of the goals Manchester City have conceded this season in all competitions have been scored by Liverpool (7/38).
- Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in nine goals in his nine Champions League appearances this season (7 goals, 2 assists).
- Overall, Salah has bagged 38 goals in all competitions this season; of players in Europe’s big five leagues, only Cristiano Ronaldo can better that tally (39).
- Roberto Firmino has had a hand in 11 goals in the Champions League this season (7 goals, 4 assists), a haul only Cristiano Ronaldo can better (17).
- James Milner has registered seven assists in the Champions League this season, three more than any other player.
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